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THE 



GRACE OF CPIRIST, 



;o?^^'?^> 



SINNERS SAVED 



UNMERITED KINDNESS. 



JoJ^ h 



BY WM. S'. PLUMER, D.D, 



* We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall he saved 
even as they." — Acts xv. 11. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
PEESBYTEEIAN BOAED OF PUBLICATION, 

No. 266 CnESTNUT STKEET. 



^/ ^!)3 ^ 



•v^l 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1853, by 

A. W. MITCHELL, M. D. 

in the Office of the Clerk of the District Court of the Eastern District 
of Pennsylvania. 



The Library 
OF Congress 

WASHINGTON ' | 



Stereotyped by Slote & M coney, Philadelphia. 
W M . S . M A R 'Ti E N , Printer. 



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> 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 

Introduction 7 

CHAPTER 11. 
All Men are Sinners 13 

CHAPTER in. 
Sin is a great Evil 20 

CHAPTER IV. 
How the pious regard Sin in themselves and in others.. 26 

CHAPTER V. 
The Heart of Man is all wrong 32 

CHAPTER VI. 
Wicked Men are like wicked Angels 36 

CHAPTER VII. 
Man is utterly helpless 40 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Without divine grace, Men can do nothing but sin 52 

CHAPTER IX. 
The Corruption of Man is hereditary 63 

CHAPTER X. 
Men are guilty — Imputation of Adam's sin — Actual sins. 74 

CHAPTER XI. 
Self-righteousness is worthless — Man needs a Saviour 85 

(iii) 



IV CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XII. 

PAQE 

The true notion of Grace 91 

CHAPTER XIII... 
The Properties of Grace — it is free, sufficient, unselfish, rich 

in Blessings 90 

CHAPTER XIV. 
God's Grace is also of great Antiquity, sovereign and distin- 
guishing 101 

CHAPTER XV. 
God's Purpose of Grace 108 

CHAPTER XVI. 
God's Word teaches the Doctrines of Grace — The Fathers also. 121 

CHAPTER XVII. 
What the Martyrs thought — The Reformers — Other good Men. 128 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
The Grace of Christ not different from that of the Father 

or of the Spirit 136 

CHAPTER XIX. 
No Salvation but by a Redeemer, and no Redeemer but Christ. 130 

CHAPTER XX. 
The Constitution of Christ's Person — His Grace therein 150 

CHAPTER XXI. 
The Work and Sufferings of Christ — his active and passive 

Obedience 164 

CHAPTER XXII. 
The Death of Christ-— the Atonement 175 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
' Justification before God 191 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
Justification — the Pardon of Sin by Christ's Blood 199 



CONTENTS. ^T 

CHAPTER XXV. 

PAGE 

Justification — Acceptance in Christ 206 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
Justification— Christ's Righteousness is imputed to Believers. 214 

CHAPTER XXVII. 
Justification — Imputed Righteousness— Additional Testimonies. 228 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
The Office of Faith in Justification 243 

CHAPTER XXIX. 
Why good Works are necessary 253 

CHAPTER XXX. 
Regeneration 261 

CHAPTER XXXI. 
Sanctification 274 

CHAPTER XXXIL 
Sanctification, continued 282 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
Relative Duties 288 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
Temptation — How to treat it 293 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
The Power of divine Grace to console 301 

CHAPTER XXXVL 
Afflictions of the righteous — Sayings — Promises 308 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 
The righteous shall hold on his Way 317 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
The Abbreviation of human Life 325 



VI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

FAGS 

The Believer^s Victory over Death — The Martyrs 332 

CHAPTER XL. 
Same Subject — Other Examples, ancient and modern 340 

CHAPTER XLI. 
Same Subject — Females — Missionaries 351 

CHAPTER XLII. 
The Immortality of the Soul.....' 359 

CHAPTER XLIII. 
The happy State of God's People immediately after Death 366 

CHAPTER XLIV. 
The Resurrection of Life 376 

CHAPTER XLV. 
The final Judgment 385 

CHAPTER XLVI. 
Eternal Glory 399 

CHAPTER XLVIL 

AU Honour is due to Christ 407 

CHAPTER XLVIIL 

Christians long to see Christ 414 

CHAPTER XLIX. 

The Danger of rejecting Salvation , 421 

CHAPTER L. 

The Wonders of Grace will never cease 428 

CHAPTER LL 

The Offers of free Grace are to all indiscriminately 432 

CHAPTER LII. 

The Doctrine of free Grace is safe and reforms Sinners 440 

CHAPTER LIIL 
The Conclusion — An Offer of Life made to the perishing 449 



THE 



GRACE OF CHRIST 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Is salvation by grace, or is it of debt ? Did God 
owe it to man to provide for him a Saviour? Do 
men deserve all the wrath revealed from heaven against 
ungodliness ? Is the sentence of condemnation just ? 
Cannot human merits avail something towards eternal 
happiness ? Is man able to turn himself to God and 
subdue his own sins ? Is the ruin of the soul by sin 
partial, or total ? Are men very far gone from right- 
eousness before divine grace renews them? When 
Christ came, what did he do and suffer for us ? How 
does his mediation avail for the lost ? Is there mercy 
for all, who come to God through Jesus Christ ? Are 
the provisions of the gospel suited to the wants of 
men ? Is salvation necessary ? Is it infinitely im- 
portant ? Is it possible ? 

These and many similar questions are continually 
undergoing discussion. In fact they are themes well 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

worthy of the closest and most solemn inquiry. They 
are of paramount and universal interest. He, who 
seeks not the truth in these matters, must be found 
guilty of criminal recklessness. Whatever else may 
claim his attention, here are matters of still higher 
importance. These things pertain to the well-being 
of man and the honour of God. They lay hold of 
eternity. No man ever gave up his mind with too 
much candour, with undue love of truth, or with exces- 
sive earnestness to the investigation of the Scriptures 
on themes of so vast moment. 

It ought not to be denied that there are difficulties 
in the way of every inquirer. The prejudices of men 
are strong and their passions violent. These mightily 
hinder our reception of the truth. The world also is 
full of error. Men love darkness rather than light. 
The friends of sound doctrine are often both timid and 
supine. The propagators of false notions are lively 
and confident. It is easy to embrace error. To 
know the right way demands patience, inquiry, humi- 
lity. The great things of God are not to be learned 
by those who restrain prayer. How few men are 
found crying, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may 
behold wondrous things out of thy law !" 

Yet it is possible by the aid of God's word and 
Spirit to learn the truth on all these matters. Thou- 
sands have made that great attainment. They have 
lived long lives and died in the possession and profes- 
sion of the truth as it is in Jesus. When God bids us 
search the Scriptures, he sends us not on a fooFs 
errand, nor commands an impossible task. Indeed it 
is a part of God's plan concerning his people that " we 
all come in the unity of the faith, and of the know- 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

ledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the 
stature of the fulness of Christ : that we henceforth be 
no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about 
with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, 
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to 
deceive." Eph. iv. 13, 14. And so it has happened 
that from the first founding of the Church of God, 
those, who gave the best evidence of being taught of 
God, have remarkably agreed in the great truths of 
religion. The matters on which they have fully har- 
monized have been like the continents and larger 
islands of our globe, while those, on which they have 
doubted or differed, may be compared to the lesser is- 
lands of the sea, many of which are but barren rocks 
or beds of sand. This has been demonstrably true 
since the founding of the Christian Church. The 
abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the first 
glorious event succeeding the ascension of Christ. 
The second was the calling of the Gentiles, and the 
opening of a wide and effectual door to their conver- 
sion. This was hailed with joy by the truly pious 
portion of the Jewish nation. When Peter gave them 
an account of the commencement of this work, '' they 
glorified God, saying. Then hath God also to the Gen- 
tiles granted repentance unto life." Acts xi. 18. This 
is what we should naturally expect. If a man loves 
God, whom he has not seen, he is sure to love his bro- 
ther, whom he has seen. He, who in his heart glori- 
fies Christ, will desire that all men should do the same. 
A converted man, who had no joy at seeing sinners 
coming to Christ, would be a monster, such as has 
never yet appeared. The bringing in of the Gentiles 
gave rise to questions, the settlement of which required 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

the calling of a Synod, consisting of apostles, elders 
and brethren. The chief matter before the council 
respected the relation of the converts from paganism 
to the ceremonial law of Moses. But in his address 
Peter gave a summary of the faith of himself and of 
his brethren. These are his words : " We believe that 
through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall 
be saved even as they." Concerning the method and 
Author of salvation there was among them no disagree- 
ment. He therefore speaks for all, "We believe;" 
and he says there is but one scheme of mercy for Jew 
and Gentile. ''We" and "they" relate to the Israel- 
ites and the pagans. Christ broke down the middle 
wall of partition between them, abolishing their old 
mutual enmity by his cross, and making them one in 
him. His church is not provincial or national, but 
catholic or universal. It is not confined to any one 
people, but was intended for the whole race, and em- 
braces all true believers. 

Thus Simon Peter expressed the faith of the church 
of Christ nineteen years after our Lord's ascension to 
glory. Whatever reluctance some have had to pub- 
lishing their creed, the apostles had none. Their 
great object was to let men know what and why they 
believed. There is no solid argument against the use 
of doctrinal formulas, long or short, if they are sound, 
scriptural, and well-understood. They should express 
the truth in clear terms, and be honestly held before 
they are professed. " Prove all things ; hold fast that 
which is good." 1 Thess. v. 21. "Hold fast the form 
of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith 
and love which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim. i. 13. 
The salvation of the gospel is common to all, who are 



INTRODUCTION. 11 

"sanctified by God the Father, preserved In Jesus 
Christ, and called." Jude 3. In this first Synod we 
have the Christian faith in epitome. 

From that age to the present, the true faith has 
often been obscured, marred and corrupted by many, 
yet it has always won the love and confidence of per- 
sons and communities, just in proportion as they loved 
our Lord Jesus Christ, and abounded in the knowledge 
of his salvation. At times it has seemed as if all the 
world would soon be drunken with the sorcery of fatal 
error. But when the enemy has come in like a flood, 
the Spirit of the Lord has lifted up a standard against 
him; and the cause of truth and righteousness has 
revived. 

As the character of this work is not polemic but 
practical, the references to books and pages are en- 
tirely omitted in the margin. The form of the work 
is popular, not scientific. It is designed not for the 
few, but for the masses. The chief object aimed at is 
to lead men to the foot of the cross, to encourage them 
to make Christ all and in all, to seek no other way of 
mercy but by the Redeemer, to satisfy all, who revere 
God's word, of the perfect safety of a soul resting on 
the grace of Christ, and on that alone for all it needs 
for its complete deliverance from sin and misery, and 
so to comfort all that mourn for sin, give courage to 
the timid but real disciple of Christ, and ultimately to 
give all the glory to him, to whom it belongs. 

If men are saved by grace, it is because they need 
mercy ; and if men are sinners they require a Saviour. 
The first subject therefore in this treatise is the extent 
of the wants of men. The second is the supply of 
those wants in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ^ 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

The remainder of the work is taken up in considering 
some things growing out of the preceding discussions. 
May He, to whom we owe all that is pleasant in our 
history, and all that is animating in our prospects, 
graciously own this book, and bless its pages to the 
enlightening, comforting, edifying and saving of many 
souls. 



CHAPTER II, 



ALL MEN ARE SINNERS. 



Jews and GentileSj Greeks and Barbarians, bond 
and free, are sinners. If they are not, they need not 
mercy but mere justice. Yet inspired men never 
preached the doctrine of human innocence. They all 
knew and taught just the reverse. In the first chapter 
of his epistle to the Romans, Paul clearly proves that 
the Gentiles are sinners: "When they knew God, 
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, 
but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish 
heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, 
they became fools ; and changed the glory of the in- 
corruptible God into an image made like to corruptible 
man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creep- 
ing things. Wherefore God also gave them up to un- 
cleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to 
dishonour their own bodies between themselves ; who 
changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped 
and served the creature more than the Creator, who is 
blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave 
them up to vile affections. * * "^ And even as they did 
not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave 
them up to a reprobate mind to do those things which 
are not convenient ; being filled with all unrighteous- 
ness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malicious- 
ness ; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, 
2 (13) 



14 ALL MEN ARE SINNERS. 

whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, 
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to pa- 
rents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, with- 
out natural affection, implacable, unmerciful ; who 
knowing the judgment of God, that they which com- 
mit such things are worthy of death, not only do the 
same, but have pleasure in them that do them." 
Could reasoning be more sound and conclusive? 
There is no way of escaping its force. Beyond a 
question the Gentiles are sinners. 

In the third chapter of the same epistle Paul shows 
that all men, not excepting the Jews, are sinners : 
" What then ? are w^e [Jews] better than they [Gen- 
tiles] ? No, in no wise : for we have before proved 
both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin ; 
as it is written. There is none righteous, no, not one. 
There is none that understandeth, there is none that 
seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way ; 
they are together become unprofitable ; there is none 
that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open 
sepulchre ; with their tongues they have used deceit ; 
the poison of asps is under their lips ; whose mouth is 
full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to 
shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their 
ways ; and the way of peace have they not known. 
There is no fear of God before their eyes." More 
direct or cogent reasoning is no where found. It 
covers all cases. As a fair inference from it the apos- 
tle says, every mouth must be stopped, and all the 
world stand guilty before God, and that by the deeds 
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. 
No man will deny that our views of human guilt or 
innocence, human merit or demerit, will materially mo- 



ALL MEN ARE SINNERS. 16 

dify all our views in religion. This doctrine of the 
sinfulness of man is therefore, if true, very important, 
and so it may be well to look further at the arguments 
by which it is maintained. If men are enemies of 
God, it is high time they should know it. What then 
is the testimony of the Holy Ghost in other parts of 
Scripture ? It is peculiarly clear : " There is no man 
that sinneth not." 1 Kings viii. 46. "If (God) will 
contend with (man), he cannot answer one of a thou- 
sand.'' Job ix. 3. "Enter not into judgment with 
thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be 
justified." Psa. cxliii. 2. "There is not a just man 
upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not." Ecc. vii. 
20. " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our- 
selves and the truth is not in us." " If we say that we 
have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is 
not in us." 1 John i. 8, 10. In all the range of sober 
writings on serious matters, where can you find more 
pointed and explicit declarations ? Who dare take up 
the challenge of the wise man, when he says : " Who 
can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from 
my sin ?" Prov. xx. 9. " The heart of the sons of men 
is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they 
live ; and after that they go to the dead." Ecc. ix. 3. 
" The whole world lieth in wickedness." 1 John v. 19. 
" In many things we offend all." James iii. 2. 

The Scriptures speak a language no less distinct re- 
specting our sins of omission. " All have sinned and 
come short of the glory of God.'^ Rom. iii. 23. In 
Christ's account of the final judgment in Matt. xxv. 
42 — 46, the only sins charged upon the wicked are 
sins of omission. " I was a hungered and ye gave me 
no meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink," &c. 



16 ALL MEN ARE SINNERS. 

In that solemn scene on the last night of Belshazzar's 
life, when Daniel was called in as it were to pronounce 
sentence on the royal offender, one of his charges, and 
one that has a fearful significance was, " Thou hast not 
humbled thyself." Another still more comprehensive 
w^as, ''The God in whose hand thy breath is, and 
whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified." Dan. 
V. 22, 23, If in reviewing the guilt of such a mon- 
ster of depravity as Belshazzar, such prominence was 
due to the neglect of duty, it is easy to see what musb 
be the vast amount of sin of omission among men 
generally. The law is, " Thou shalt love the Lord 
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and 
with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and 
thy neighbour as thyself.'' This law is infinitely 
holy, just and good. Where is the living man that 
ever met these righteous demands even for an hour ? 
Men must all be sinners, or they could not be so defi- 
cient in obedience to this fundamental law of God's 
empire. Never was a complaint more just, or a re- 
buke more timely than when God says : " If I be a 
father, where is my honour ? and if I be a master, 
where is my fear?" Mai. i. 6. "Man, if his heart 
were not depraved, might have had a disposition to 
gratitude to Grodfor Ms goodness, in proportion to his 
disposition to anger towards men for their injuries.'' 
Who will say that any such proportion is observed ? 

Such was the corruption of the entire race of man 
that the ^dge of all the earth destroyed the world, 
one family alone excepted, with a deluge. The reason 
assigned by God himself for this terrific judgment was 
the wickedness of men : " My Spirit shall not always 
strive with man." '' And God saw that the wickedness 



ALL MEN ARE SINNERS. 17 

of man was great in the earth, and that every imagi- 
nation of the thoughts of his heart was only evil con- 
tinually. And it repented the Lord that he had made 
man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." 
" And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was 
corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way on the 
earth." Gen. vi. 3, 5, 6, 12. If man naturally loved 
holiness and goodness, one would have said that the 
length of life in the ante-diluvian ages would have 
been very favourable to the establishment of indivi- 
duals and communities in all virtues and moral excel- 
lencies. Instead of this, " the earth was corrupt be- 
fore God, and the earth was filled with violence." 
Gen. vi. 11. Longevity wrought misery to man and 
dishonour to God. The destruction of the old world 
was either just or unjust. If any say it was unjust, 
they blasphemously impeach God's character. If they 
admit that it was just, then they say it was deserved, 
and so admit that human wickedness is dreadful. 

There is no candid reader of the Scriptures, who 
will deny that one of the duties urged in God's word 
upon all men is that of repentance. But can that 
duty be incumbent on the pure and holy ? Is it not 
worse than mere folly to call on those to repent, who 
have nothing to repent of, to require men to be sorry 
for having committed no sin, to change their mind and 
behaviour concerning their unfaltering obedience to 
God ? To ask a holy being to repent is to call on him 
to apostatize from God. In like manner the Scrip- 
tures call on men to confess their sins and to forsake 
them, promising mercy to such. But have sinless an- 
gels ever been called to such work ? Is it not absurd 
to require such things of the innocent ? Fov a man 
2* 



18 ALL MEN ARE SINNERS. 

to confess a fault which he never committed is a gra- 
tuitous falsehood, an insult to God. So also in prayer 
we are taught to say, '^Forgive us our debts." How 
idle to plead for itiercy, when we need nothing but 
sheer justice ; to beg for forgiveness, when we are 
chargeable with no offence ! 

Jesus Christ and his apostles often speak of men as 
condemned, as under wrath, as liable to death. How 
can this be so, unless men deserve these things ? But 
if they deserve them, they are sinners. In short, no 
such book of contradictions and extravagancies can be 
found as the Bible, unless man is a sinner. Bloody 
sacrifices are wholly unfit to be offered for the sinless. 
If men are all innocent, Jesus Christ redeemed no one 
by his blood, for the reason that no one needed re- 
demption. If men are not sinners, the Holy Ghost 
never could convict them of sin, nor convert them from 
sin ; and so the entire gospel would be glad tidings to 
no one. If men are not sinners, the preaching of 
Peter on the day of Pentecost, of Paul on Mars Hill, 
and of all others, who have held forth the truths of the 
Gospel was a cruel aggravation of human miseries, 
which nothing could justify. If men are innocent, all 
urgency, yea all concern about salvation is fanaticism. 
But it should not be forgotten that whenever men's in- 
terests clash, when controversies arise, when litigations 
commence, they always regard each other as sinful. 
Nor is this all. Every good man, whom the world has 
ever seen, has pronounced on his own case that he was 
not innocent. David said, " I have sinned against the 
Lord." Isaiah said, " Woe is me, for I am a man of 
unclean lips." Job said, " Behold I am vile." Peter 
said, "I am a sinful man." Paul said, "I am the 



ALL MEN ARE SINNERS. 19 

chief of sinners.'' Surely if converted and inspired 
men so judged of their case, in a word, if the best men 
the world ever saw were sinners, all men must be alien- 
ated from God. One reason for admitting this doc- 
trine is that it is true. This is the grand reason for 
admitting any doctrine and should end all controversy 
about it. But we may well remember that whatever 
humbles us, and causes us to take our place in the dust 
before God is good for us and is probably true. The 
right place for sinners is one of deep self-abasement. 
It is also important to us never to forget that in de- 
nying our lost and miserable condition we do thereby 
refuse Christ and all his mercies. ^'Till our necessi- 
ties be understood, redemption cannot be well under- 
stood." " That is the reason we are no better, because 
our disease is not perfectly known : that is the reason 
we are no better, because we know not how bad we 
are." If there is no sin, there can be no salvation. 
If we are not great sinners, Christ is not a great 
Saviour. 



CHAPTER III. 



SIN IS A GREAT EVIL. 



Tell me what you think of sin, and I will tell you 
what you think of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, of the 
divine law, of the blessed Gospel, and of all necessary 
truth. He, who looks upon sin merely as a fiction, 
as a misfortune, or as a trifle, sees no necessity either 
for deep repentance or a great atonement. He, who 
sees no sin in himself, will feel no need of a Saviour. 
He, who is conscious of no evil at work in his heart, 
will desire no change of nature. He, who regards sin 
as a slight affair, will think a few tears, or an outward 
reformation ample satisfaction. The truth is, no man 
ever thought himself a greater sinner before God than 
he really was. Nor was any man ever more distressed 
at his sins than he had just cause to be. He, who 
never felt it to be " an evil and a bitter thin 2: 
to depart from God," is to this hour an enemy of 
his Maker, a rebel against his rightful and righteous 
Sovereign. 

When God speaks of the evil of sin it is in such 
language as this : " Be astonished, ye heavens, at 
this, and be horribly afraid ; be ye very desolate, saith 
the Lord. For my people have committed two evils : 

(20) 



4 



SIN IS A GREAT EVIL. 21 

they have forsaken mc the fountain of living waters, 
and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, which 
can hold no water." Jer. ii. 12, 13. God is a God of 
truth, and would never speak thus about anything 
that was not atrocious and enormous in its very 
nature. Yet it should be observed that he mentions 
only such sins as are chargeable to all men, even the 
most moral and decent. In this estimate of the evil 
of sin the righteous do well agree with God. The 
most piteous and bitter cries, that ever ascended from 
earth to heaven, were uttered under the sting of sin, 
or were for deliverance from its power. In doctrine 
there can be no worse tendency than that which dimin- 
ishes men's abhorrence of iniquity. Nor is there a 
darker sign in religious experience than the slightness 
of the impressions some have concerning the heinous 
nature of all sin. It is worse than poverty, sickness, 
reproach. It is worse than all sufferings. The reason 
is because it is "exceeding sinful.'' The worst thing 
that can be said of any thought, word, or deed is that 
it is wicked. It may be foolish, but if it is sinful, that 
is infinitely worse. It may be vulgar, and as such 
should be avoided; but if it is sinful, it should be 
avoided, were it ever so polite. An act may offend 
man, and yet be very praiseworthy; but if it dis- 
pleases God, nothing can excuse its commission- 
Some have proposed curious and unprofitable ques- 
tions respecting the infinitude of the evil of sin. An 
answer to them would probably give rise to a host of 
others like them, and so there would be no end of 
folly. Besides, men do not propose or discuss idle 
questions, when they are anxious to know how they 
may be saved from sin. Then they cry : " Men and 



22 SIN IS A GREAT EVIL. 

brethren, what must we do ? Is there mercy, is there 
help, is there hope for such perishing sinners as we 
are ? if so, where can we find salvation ?" Questions, 
that are merely curious and not practical in religion, 
are unworthy of study and consideration. Yet it may 
be proper to say that anything is to us infinite, the 
dimensions of which we cannot gauge, the greatness 
of which we cannot understand. In this sense sin is 
an infinite evil. We cannot set bounds to it. We 
cannot say. Thus far it comes and no further. " Sin, 
when it is finished, bringeth forth death." And who 
but God can tell all that is included in that fearful word, 
death ? Moreover, sin is committed against an infinite 
God. The ill-desert of any evil deed is to be de- 
termined in part by the dignity of the person, against 
whom it is directed. To strike a brother is wrong ; 
to strike a parent is worse. To strike a fellow-soldier is 
punishable with chains ; to strike a commanding officer 
is punishable with death. On this principle the Bible 
reasons : ^^ If any man sin against another, the judge 
shall judge him ; but if a man sin against the Lord, 
who shall entreat for him?" 1 Sam. ii. 25. God is 
our Maker, Father, Governor, and Judge. He is 
glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. 
He is the best of all friends, the greatest of all beings, 
the most bountiful of all benefactors. By ties stronger 
than death and more lasting than the sun, we are 
bound to love, fear, honour and obey him. To sin 
against him is so impudent, ungrateful and wicked, 
that no created mind can ever adequately estimate its 
atrocity ; and so it is an infinite evil. If sin had its 
own way, it would dethrone the Almighty. All re- 
bellion tends to the utter subversion of the govern- 



STN TS A C! TIE AT EVIL. Z6 

ment against which it is committed ; and all sin is 
rebellion against the government of God. If men saw 
their sins aright, they would more highly prize divine 
mercy ; and if they had more worthy conceptions of 
God's grace, they would have more abasing views of 
themselves. 

We may learn much of the evil nature of sin by the 
names which the Bible gives to it, and to those who 
practise it. It is called disobedience, transgression, 
iniquity, foolishness, madness, rebellion, evil, evil fruit, 
uncleanness, filthiness, pollution, perverseness, frow- 
ardness, stubbornness, revolt, an abomination, an ac- 
cursed thing. In like manner deeds of wickedness 
are called evil works, works of darkness, dead works, 
works of the flesh, works of the devil. And wicked 
men are called sinners, unjust, unholy, unrighteous, 
filthy, evil men, evil doers, seducers, despisers, child- 
ren of darkness, children of the devil, children of hell, 
corrupters, idolators, enemies of God, enemies of all 
righteousness, adversaries of God and man, liars, 
deceivers. 

From low, meagre apprehensions of the divine nature 
and law flow a slight estimate of the evil of sin, spi- 
ritual pride, self-conceit, and a disesteem of the most 
precious righteousness of Jesus Christ. He, who can 
go to Gethsemane and Calvary, and come aw^ay with 
slight views of the evil nature of sin, must be blind 
indeed. There God speaks in accents not to be mis- 
understood but by the wilful. Yet such is the per- 
verseness of men that they often refuse to learn even 
at the cross of Christ. Beveridge says : '' Man's un- 
derstanding is so darkened that he can see nothing of 
God in God, nothing of holiness in holiness, nothing 



24 SIN IS A GREAT EVIL. 

of good in good, nothing of evil in evil, nor anything 
of sinfulness in sin. Nay, it is so darkened that he 
fancies himself to see good in evil, and evil in good, 
happiness in sin, and misery in holiness." We all 
naturally belong to the generation of '^ the blind peo- 
ple that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears." In 
coincidence with these general views Brookes says: 
" No sin can be little, because there is no little God to 
sin against.'' 

Bunyan near death said : '' No sin against God can 
be little ; because it is against the great God of hea- 
ven and earth ; but if the sinner can find out a little 
God, it may be easy to find out little sins.'* 

John Owen says : '' He that hath slight thoughts 
of sin, never had great thoughts of God." 

Luther said : '^ From the error of not knowing or 
understanding what sin is, there necessarily arises an- 
other error, that people cannot know or understand 
w^hat grace is." 

The Westminster Assembly says: "Every sin, even 
the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and 
holiness of God, and against his righteous law, de- 
serveth his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that 
which is to come, and cannot be expiated but by the 
blood of Christ." 

Paul says : " The wages of sin is death." 

Chrysostom says : " There is in human affairs no- 
thing that is truly terrific but sin. In all things else, 
in poverty, in sickness, in disgrace, and in death, 
(which is held to be the greatest of all evils) there is 
nothing that is really dreadful. With the wise man 
they are all empty names. But to offend God, to do 
what he disapproves, this is real evil." 



BIN IS A GREAT EVIL. 25 

Truly every wise man will say that he has cause to 
cry, Show mo my sin, my lost condition ; show me 
thy love, thy mercy. Show me the extent, the holi- 
ness, the spirituality of thy commandments. Reveal 
thy Son in me. Let him be the cure of sin, both of 
its horrible pollution and its horrible guilt. 
3 



CHAPTER IV. 

HOW THE PIOUS REaARD SIN IN THEMSELVES AND 
IN OTHERS. 

'' I ABHOR myself, and repent in dust and ashes ;" 
'' wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me 
from the body of this death?" "0 my God, I am 
ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee ;" "Cast 
me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy 
Spirit from me.'' These are but specimens of the 
deep humiliation, self-loathing, bitterness of soul, and 
painful apprehension which the righteous of every age 
feel for their own sins. There is a sense, in which 
every good man regards himself as the chief of sinners. 
That is, every one, who really knows his own heart, 
and has seen the sad work, which sin has made in his 
moral character, is able as before God to say more evil 
of himself than of any other being. The souls of such 
are filled with a godly sorrow, which worketh repen- 
tance to salvation, not to be repented of. Nor is this 
sorrow a solitary sentiment. What carefulness it 
works in all the regenerate, yea, what clearing of 
themselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, 
what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what re- 
venge ! In fine it is certain that no sentiment is more 
powerful in its effects on men's hearts, than this self- 
abasement for personal vilencss in the sight of God. 
(2G) 



HOW THE PIOUS REGARD SIN. 2T 

Sin in the heart of the believer is to him exceedingly 
odious. 

Some may say that Christians are chiefly distressed 
at their own sins, because they fear that they will prove 
their ruin at last. Those, who bring this charge, 
should know that the righteous seldom endure greater 
anguish of mind than that produced by the sins of 
others. This grief is not confined to any one class of 
good men. The young convert, the strong man in 
Christ, and the aged servant of the Lord alike show 
their sadness when others are known to offend against 
God. It is therefore illogical and unfair to impute 
this distress to weakness of mind, to nervous debility, 
or to personal apprehension of coming wrath. It is a 
part of genuine Christian feeling. He, who cares not 
that others offend God, has never wept aright over his 
own sins. So certainly as the heart is savingly 
changed, will men hate and be made sad by all sin, 
even though it be in a stranger. Was not the soul of 
righteous Lot vexed from day to day by the wickedness 
of his neighbours? Did not David cry, "I beheld 
the transgressors and was grieved, because they kept 
not thy word ?" Again he says : " Horror hath taken 
hold of me because of the wicked that forsake thy 
law ;'^ and " rivers of water run down mine eyes, be- 
cause they keep not thy law.'' Jeremiah felt just so : 
" Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a foun- 
tain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the 
slain of the daughter of my people." Ezekiel tells us 
how God, by an angel of mercy, " set a mark upon the 
foreheads of the men, that did sigh and cry for all the 
abominations" done in the land. Jesus himself was often 
grieved at the wickedness of men. He wept over the 



28 now THE PIOUS regard sin 

very city, which was about to shed his blood. There 
must be something very heinous in the nature of sin 
thus to awaken grief and abhorrence in every virtuous 
mind. To be indifferent to the moral character of 
those around us, if such a state of mind be possible, is 
proof of a sad benumbing of all virtuous sensibilities. 
To take pleasure in those, who make a trade of sin, 
and do abominable wickedness, is full proof of one's 
loving iniquity for its own sake. 

But why does the Christian weep for the sins of 
others ? He may do it as a man. Some sins bring 
shame, and poverty, and punishment on those, who 
commit them ; and all, who are connected with them, 
are to some extent involved in suffering. In this way 
the pious and the ungodly members of a family often 
weep together over the intemperance, or other ruinous 
and disgraceful vice of one of their number. But the 
good man stops not here. He weeps as a Christian. 
He is greatly grieved that God is dishonoured. This 
is the main cause of all his grief. And as he is bene- 
volent, he is sorry that men will expose themselves to 
Jehovah's curse. It makes him tremble to see men 
pulling down wrath on themselves. He is also grieved 
at the probable ill effects of a bad example, in seducing 
others from the right way. He is specially afflicted at 
the blindness and wantonness of sinners, in despising 
mercy, rejecting Christ and vexing the Holy Spirit. 
Self-love commonly steps not in to shut the eyes of a 
Christian to the hatefulness of sin, when he sees it in 
others. 

When others sin, good men see what they themselves 
were before conversion, or what they would have been 
but for the restraints of providence. An eminent ser- 



IN THEMSELVES AND IN OTHERS. 29 

vant of Christ seeing a culprit led to execution said, 
*' There goes John Bradford by nature/' Can any 
man thus see himself mirrored forth in the life of an- 
other, and not be humbled and grieved ? Should he, 
•who thus transgresses, be a professor of Christ's reli- 
gion, and eminent in gifts or station, the anguish felt 
is the more keen, because God is thus greatly dis- 
honoured, Christ is wounded in the house of his frinds, 
the enemy takes occasion to utter new and bitter re- 
proaches against religion, and the wicked are greatly 
emboldened in wrong-doing. Such a lapse commonly 
sh^es all those secure thoughts, which men have of 
their own spiritual state, and awakens jealousies, over 
one's self, which are like coals of juniper. If David 
fell, much more may a weak believer. If the tempest 
tears up cedars by the roots, what shall become of the 
tender plants ? If a giant may be overcome, how 
much more a child? So that the open sins of pro- 
fessors, in proportion to their eminence, lead God's 
people to great heart-searchings and strong fears lest 
hidden iniquity should at last be their ruin. Let it be 
so ; for " if the sins of others be not our fear, they 
may be our practice. What the best have done, the 
weakest ma?/ imitate. There is scarcely any notorious 
sin, into which self-confidence may not plunge us. 
There is hardly any sin, from which a holy and watch- 
ful fear may not happily preserve us." that men 
would remember that, " Blessed is he that feareth al- 
ways." Preservation from sin is better than recovery 
from its snares. A man may escape death by a malig- 
nant pestilence, though it attack him, but it will pro- 
bably leave him weak and liable to other diseases. 
How surely will a wise man profit by the errors of 
3* 



30 HOW THE PIOUS REGARD SIN 

others ! " In vain is the net spread in the sight of 
any bird/' When the land is full of enemies, no wise 
man says, " There is no danger." 

Of all unamiable and unchristian tempers none is 
more dangerous to its possessor than harshness to a 
fallen brother, founded on confidence in our own 
strength. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a 
fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one, in the 
spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also 
be tempted." We cannot pity erring men too much, 
but in the abhorrence of sin there is no danger of 
excess, nor can we pray too fervently, nor watch too 
closely against falling into the evil practices, which 
we lament or reprehend in others. Sin is the worst of 
evils. So greatly do good men hate it, that they have 
long preferred anything else rather than its defile- 
ment. Joseph said : " How can I do this great wick- 
edness and sin against God ?" and cheerfully went to 
prison rather than yield to temptation. Moses also 
chose " rather to suffer afiliction with the people of 
God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; 
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than 
the treasures of Egypt : for he had respect unto the 
recompense of the reward." Anselm said: "If sin 
were on one side, and hell on the other, I would sooner 
leap into hell than willingly sin against my God." 
Good old David Rice, the apostle of Kentucky, allud- 
ing to the irreligion of his day, said : " As I see a 
propriety in it, so I feel an inclination to go mourning 
to my grave." 

How base and cruel it is in unconverted persons by 
their wickedness to afflict all their pious friends, and 
then upbraid them for not being happy ! How can 



IN THEMSELVES AND IN OTHERS. 31 

one be joyful, when he sees those, whom he loves most, 
rejectmg God, and " digging into hell ?" Esther said, 
" How can I endure to see the destruction of my kin- 
dred ?" And Paul said : " I say the truth in Christ, 
I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the 
Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness, and contin- 
ual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that my- 
self were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my 
kinsmen according to the flesh.'' What anguish 
wrings the heart of a pious wife, or child, who lives 
for years with the growing conviction that he, for 
whom they have so long wept and prayed, will yet 
pretty certainly die without hope ! And who can de- 
scribe the fearful tumult, or crushing sorrow, when the 
eyes of such an one are closed in death, and pious 
survivors have no reason to believe that the separation 
which then takes place is other than eternal ! 



CHAPTEll V. 



THE HEART OF MAJSf IS ALL WRONG. 

Let us look at our own hearts. There is a mystery 
in all iniquity. In Scripture it is often called a lie, 
guile, deceit. The heart of man is full of all treachery ; 
so that '' there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their 
inward part is very wickedness ; their throat is an open 
sepulchre ; they flatter with their tongue." " His 
mouth is full of cursing, and deceit, and fraud." " They 
speak vanity every one with his neighbour : with flat- 
tering lips and with a double heart do they speak." 
" The counsels of the wicked are deceit." " They 
hold fast deceit ; they refuse to return." " The heart 
is deceitful above all things." It deceives every being 
but one. It would deceive Him, if he were not omni- 
scient. None but God knows all the depths of iniquity 
and duplicity within us. Genuine conviction is at- 
tended with a sense of the divine knowledge and hatred 
of our sins. What unconverted man can without terror 
dwell on the words, "Thou God seest me?" To the 
regenerate it is for a joy that God knows all their 
hearts, and will search and cleanse them. When the 
wicked sin greedily, and have no checks in their con- 
sciences, you may know that it is because God is not 
in all their thoughts. " Do you think that I believe 
there is a God, when I do such things ?" said Nero to 
Seneca, who was reproving him for his vices. 

(32) 



\the heart of man is all weono. 33 

Though the language of the Bible is strong, it is 
just. God declares, and every Christian knows by 
sad experience that his heart is deceitful above all 
things. Among beasts, the fox and serpent are de- 
ceitful. But their arts are few and can soon be 
learned. The currents of the sea are deceitful, yet 
you may soon acquire a knowledge of the dangers 
thence arising. There is a law in their variations. 
Even the magnetic needle is not always true to the pole. 
Yet its variations can be precisely calculated. But 
no mortal knows how much his heart varies from the 
law of God. ''Who can understand his errors?" 
Ps. xix. 12. A broken tooth or foot out of joint can 
never be safely trusted. Men know this and never 
wittingly rely upon them. But all men put more or 
less confidence in their own hearts. 

Man is the only creature on earth that seems to 
practise self-deception. The fox deceives his pur- 
suers, not himself. But man " feedeth on ashes : a 
deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot 
deliver his soul, nor say. Is there not a lie in my right 
hand Y' Isa. xliv. 20. Who has not often seen that 
'' there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the 
end thereof are the ways of death ?" Prov. xvi. 25. 
How timely is that exhortation of Paul, " Let no man 
deceive himself!'' 1 Cor. iii. 18. How strange and 
yet how common that he, whose heart has deceived 
him a thousand times, should yet confide in it as if it 
had always been honest ! 

Education is sometimes so conducted as to make us 
blind to our real characters. One trained at a Jesuit's 
school complained : ^' I have been so long in the habit 
of concealing my real sentiments from others, that I 



84 THE HEART OF MAN IS ALL WRONG. 

hardly know what they are." Few men have been 
such adepts in the arts of a corrupt court as Talley- 
rand ; but many still live, who think with him that 
^'language was designed to conceal thought." In 
such cases '' deceiving and being deceived" are com- 
monly united. That we should sometimes deceive 
others is proof of our depravity ; but that we should 
spend our lives in self-deception is truly marvellous. 
Men of the fewest virtues commonly have the best 
conceit of themselves. Peter solemnly averred his 
adhesion to Christ, though all others should forsake 
him ; yet in the trying hour his conduct was worse 
than that of any but the traitor. When forewarned 
of his wickedness Hazael felt insulted, and cried. 
" But what ! is thy servant a dog, that he should do 
this great thing ?" Yet he very soon perpetrated ail 
the horrible crimes, which had been foretold. Above 
most men Ahab sold himself to do iniquity, and thus 
brought dire curses on his person and kingdom ; yet, 
as soon as he saw Elijah, he said, "Art thou he that 
troubleth Israel?" A perfect knowledge of the 
treachery of our hearts is possessed by none but God ; 
a just knowledge of them belongs to no portion of 
mankind, but those who are enlightened by the Holy 
Ghost. 

The heart is also vile. It is " desperately wicked." 
It loves vanity, and folly, and sin. It hates holiness, 
and truth, and divine restraints. It is a sink of ini- 
quity, a pool of pestilential waters, a cage of unclean 
birds, a sepulchre full of dead men's bones. It is torn 
by wild, fierce, unhallowed passions. It rejects good 
and chooses evil. It is wholly corrupt. There is no 
soundness in it. It is full of evil. " Out of the heart 



THE HEART OF MAN IS ALL WRONG. 35 

proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornica- 
tions, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Matt. xv. 19. 

Men may rail at the vices, principles, and preju- 
dices of others, and be worse themselves. " He, that 
trusteth iniiis own heart is a fool." Prov. xxviii. 26. 
If the word, fool^ here as in some other cases desig- 
nates a wicked man, it is well applied. None but had 
men lean upon their own hearts, their own wisdom and 
counsels, their own strength and suflSciency, their own 
merit and righteousness. If the word, fool^ points out 
one, who is destitute of wisdom, then who lacks that 
quality so much as he, who believes his heart upright 
and honest, when all his life it has been leading him 
away from God, and practising on him the grossest 
deceptions? Surely human nature is a poor thing. 
Man at his best estate is altogether vanity. " Before 
conversion, his heart is the worst part about him." 
Every wise man will say with Paul : ''I know that in 
me, that is, in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing." 
Rom. vii. 18. 

Sometimes the word, hearty is in Scripture used to 
designate the conscience, as where it is said, " if our 
heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and 
knoweth all things." We all have by nature ^'an 
evil conscience." The state of the world judged by 
the entire state of men's consciences, presents one of 
the most appalling subjects of contemplation. "He 
that hath a hlind conscience, which sees nothing ; a 
dead conscience, which feels nothing; and a dumb 
conscience, which says nothing, is in as miserable a 
condition as a man can be in on this side hell." 



CHAPTER VI. 



WICKED MEN ARE LIKE WICKED ANGELS. 

Such is the sad state of man by nature that he 
bears a fearful resemblance to fallen angels. This 
truth is very abasing to human pride. To declare it 
is a high offence in the judgment of many men of un- 
circumcised ears and hearts. They wait not to ask 
what is meant by it, nor what are the evidences of its 
truth. They instantly repel the charge with indigna- 
tion. This truth, like any other, may be announced 
in an offensive manner ; but it is a truth, which must 
never be given up. 

No one asserts that unrenewed men now on earth 
are as wicked as they possibly can be. If they live a 
day longer in sin, they will be worse. And if they 
go to eternity without a change of heart, they will be 
far, far worse. Continuance in sin hardens the heart, 
and makes men more and more reckless and desperate. 
" Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse." 
Satan himself is more hardened and more malignant 
than when he first revolted. No man all of a sudden 
sinks to the lowest depths of debasement. 

Of course it is not asserted that men are now posi- 
tively as bad as the angels who kept not their first 
estate. Man has not time on earth to work out such 
completeness of evil as his elder brethren, who fell 
into sin, have attained. _ Moreover, most men have 

(36) 



WICKED MEN ARE LIKE WICKED ANGELS. 37 

some degree of conscience, some natural affection, 
some regard to the proprieties of life, and some hope 
of future repentance, which restrain their evil natures. 
And yet wicked men are like wicked angels in the 
sense in which a child is like a man, or a whelp like a 
lion. Let us see : 

All admit that wicked angels have no holiness. In 
this wicked men are precisely like them. They do 
not love God's law, or nature, or government. They 
are alienated from him, and opposed to all his attri- 
butes and authority. They do not glorify him, do not 
delight in him, do not find pleasure in thinking on his 
name. They choose sin and death, rather than holi- 
ness and life. " The carnal mind is enmity against 
God : for it is not subject to the law of God, neither 
indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh 
cannot please God." Wicked angels do not please 
God, neither do wicked men. Neither class intends 
nor desires to please him. Fallen angels are without 
God in their prison-house ; and wicked men are with- 
out God in the world. Neither fallen angels nor fallen 
men feel towards God, as loyal subjects towards a 
prince, as faithful servants to a master, as dutiful 
children to a father. 

The want of truth is a great sin among fallen an- 
gels and fallen men. Satan is a deceiver, a slanderer, 
an accuser of the brethren, a liar and the father of 
lies. Men also are deceivers. They lay snares privily. 
They use cunning craftiness. They practise intrigue, 
imposture, and equivocation. They love and make a lie. 
They are a lie. " They delight in lies." The wicked 
are estranged from the womb : they go astray as soon 
as they be born, speaking lies. All the hopes of^ 

4; 



38 WICKED MEN AKE LIKE WICKED ANGELS. 

wicked men are but "refuges of lies,'^ and the last 
day will show it. 

Satan is cruel, unrelenting, and a murderer from the 
beginning. He delights in scenes of blood. His 
trade is to murder souls. Wicked men are murderers. 
They hate one another. They hate the just. They 
shed innocent blood. They murder souls. They have 
no compassion for the perishing : " He that hateth 
his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no mur- 
derer hath eternal life abiding in him." More than 
twice the whole number of inhabitants of the United 
States in 1852, that is, more than fifty millions of people 
have been murderously put to death in the last eighteen 
hundred years, simply because they professed to love 
the truth of God and the Saviour of sinners. Laws, 
public opinion, and God's providence now restrain many, 
but the heart of unrenewed man is as wicked as it ever 
was. It hates holiness, wherever seen. Those men 
who go about murdering souls by teaching false doc- 
trine, are peculiarly like the great destroyer. 

Satan is a robber. He would rob men of their sal- 
vation, Christ of his crown, and God of his glory. 
He plotted and instigated the robbery, which the Sa- 
beans perpetrated upon Job. He is the great patron 
of pirates, footpads, burglars and thieves, and wicked 
men do his bidding. They oppress, defraud, and rob 
one another. They do more. They defraud the Al- 
mighty. " Will a man rob God ? yet ye have robbed 
me * * * in tithes and offerings." 

Fallen angels are greedy of sin and delight in wick- 
edness. AVicked men are just so. " They sleep not 
except they have done some mischief." " They draw 
iniquity with a cart-rope." ''They are mad upon their 



WICKED MEN ARE LIKE WICKED ANOELS. 39 

idols.'' They have pleasure in those that do iniquity. 
They delight themselves in a thing of naught. They 
are bent on backsliding. 

Satan is a tempter and so are wicked men. He 
would have Job curse God and die ; so his wife invites 
him to the horrid deed. He gives the text, " Thou 
shalt not surely die," and the Universalis t takes it up 
and goes through the land, promising life to the wicked, 
salvation to the impenitent, heaven to the unbelieving. 

In some things wicked men do what fallen angels 
never did. They reject mercy and grace, kindly offered 
to them by the Lord. Devils never did that. You 
say, They never had the opportunity. True, but they 
never did it. Neither did they ever laugh at eternity, 
judgment and damnation. They have too fearful a 
sense of the wrath of God to be able to mock and jest 
at the most terrible things. If these things be so, then 
we understand something of the import of our Saviour's 
words to the wicked of his day : " Ye are of your 
father the devil, and his works will ye do.'* How 
dreadful is sin ! It converts angels into devils and 
men into fiends. There is no unfitness in the arrange- 
ment which God has made for having one great prison- 
house for all his incorrigible foes. The very place 
prepared for the devil and his angels, will be the abode 
of finally impenitent men. How dreadful will hell be, 
filled up with outlaws, robbers, murderers, liars, hypo- 
crites, ingrates, enemies of God and of all righteousness, 
from among angels and men. And how startling is the 
thought that devils have stronger emotions pertaining 
to religion than some wicked men. " The devils be- 
lieve and tremble." How many sinners neither be- 
lieve nor tremble ! And how many others who seem 
to believe, laugh at things which lay hold on eternity ! 



CHAPTER VII. 



MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 

As a sinner, man can neither commend nor convert 
himself to God. He cannot atone for his sins, he can- 
not satisfy divine justice, he cannot subdue his own 
iniquities, he cannot perform any holy action. In 
our day there are but few Protestants, who maintain 
that man can make any atonement for his sins against 
God ; or redeem himself, by paying any ransom for 
his soul. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse 
of the law;" ^'He is the propitiation for our sins;" 
'^ Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin 
of the world." These and many similar passages of 
Scripture have brought all but outrageous errorists to 
acknowledge, that in the work of salvation we are 
wholly and absolutely indebted to the Lord Jesus 
Christ for reconciliation with God. He is our peace. 

But some are not so ready to confess their in- 
debtedness to the Holy Spirit for all right percep- 
tions of truth, for all really good desires and proper 
motives, for all spiritual strength and power to do 
good. It is with extreme reluctance that men admit 
their utter helplessness in this respect. And yet the 
Scriptures speak a language as decisive, as unmistaka- 
ble about our inability to purify our hearts as to make 
an atonement for transgression. Therefore when God 
promises aid it is on this wise : "He giveth power to 
(40) 



MAN IS UTTERLY UELPLESS. 41 

the faint ; and to them that have no might he incrcascth 
strength." Isa. xl. 29. " Not by mighty nor by power, 
but by my Spmt, saith the Lord of hosts." Zech. iv. 6. 
Even converted persons stand by borrowed strength. 
*'Be strong in the Lord^ and in the poiver of his 
might,'' Eph. vi. 10. '' As the branch cannot bear 
fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can. 
ye except ye abide in me'' John xv. 4. ''Be strong 
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus," 2 Tim. ii. 1. 
Indeed the righteous have always delighted to acknow- 
ledge that all their strength is in God. 
I Of the helplessness of unregenerate man the Bible 
speaks in the clearest terms and in many ways. First, 
it teaches that he cannot see and know the truth. 
" The natural man receiveth not the things of the 
Spirit ; for they are foolishness to him ; neither can 
he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.'' 
1 Cor. ii. 14. Left to themselves men are " always 
learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of 
the truth.'^ 2 Tim. iii. 7. Accordingly unregenerate 
men are often spoken of as blind ; and Grod very gra- 
ciously promises to ''bring the blind by a way that they 
knew not." Isa. xlii. 16. Secondly^ without God's 
Holy Spirit men cannot believe, cannot receive Christ : 
"No man can come unto me, except the Father, which 
hath sent me, draw him." "No man *can come unto 
me except it were given him of my Father." John vi. 
44, 65. " How can ye believe, who receive honour one 
of another, and seek not the honour which cometh 
from God?" John v. 44. Even a disposition to hear 
God's word belongs to no man without God's Spirit. 
*' Why do ye not understand my speech ? Because ye 
cannot hear my word." John viii. 43. Lydia never 
4* 



42 MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS, "l 

attended to the preached gospel till the Lord opened 
her heart. Acts xvi. 14. Thirdly^ without God's 
Spirit man cannot obey a single law of God. " The 
carnal mind is enmity against God ; for it is not sub- 
ject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 
viii. 7. 

The Church of God has always held this doctrine. 
Augustine, than whom the truth has perhaps never had 
an abler uninspired defender, says: "Neither doth a 
man begin to be converted, or changed from evil to 
good by the beginnings of faith, unless the free and 
undeserved mercy of God work it in him.'' "So 
therefore let the grace of God be accounted of, that 
from the beginning of his good conversion to the end 
of his perfection, he that glorieth let him glory in the 
Lord. Because as none can begin a good work with- 
out the Lord, so none can perfect it without the Lord." 
" The Lord, that he might answer Pelagius to come, 
doth not say, 'Without me ye can hardly do any 
thing ;' but he saith, ' Without me ye can do nothing.' 
And that he might also answer these men that were 
to come, in the very same sentence of the Gospel, he 
doth not say, ' Without me ye cannot perfect ^ but 
' Without me ye cannot do anything.' For if he had 
said. Ye cannot perfect, then these men might say, 
We have need of the help of God, not to tegin to do 
good, for we have that of ourselves, but to perfect it." 
He subsequently quotes and remarks on those notable 
texts, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think 
anything as of ourselves ;" and " Who maketh thee to 
differ?" He also says that "unless God do help, we 
can have no piety or righteousness either in word or 
in will." " It is certain that we do will when we will,' 



I 



MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 43 

but it IS he that makes us that we will that, which is 
good.'* ^' It is certain that we act when we act, but it 
is he that makes us to act, by affording most efficacious 
strength to our will." 

Ambrose says : ^'Although it be in man to will that, 
which is evil, yet he hath no power to will that, which 
is good, except it be given him/' In like manner 
Maxentius says : ^' We believe that natural free-will is 
able to do no more than to discern and desire carnal, 
or worldly things ; which may seem glorious with men, 
but not with God. But those things that belong to 
eternal life, it can neither think, nor will, nor desire, 
nor perform, but only by the infusion and inward work- 
ing of the Holy Ghost, who is also the Spirit of Christ." 
Fulgentius says: "We have not received the Spirit 
of God because we do believe, but that we may be- 
lieve." "In the heart of man, faith can neither be 
conceived, nor increased unless the Holy Spirit does 
infuse it, and nourish it." "He delivers us not by 
finding faith in any man, but by giving it." Bernard 
says : " If human nature, when it was perfect, could 
not stand ; how much less is it able of itself to rise up 
again, being now corrupt." 

The Council of Orange, which met A. D. 529 holds : 
" If any man say that mercy is divinely conferred upon 
us believing, willing, desiring, endeavouring, labouring, 
watching, studying, asking, seeking, knocking without 
the grace of God, but doth not confess that it is only 
by the infusion and inspiration of the Holy Ghost into 
us that we believe, will, and are able to do all these 
things as we ought to do, and makes the help of grace 
to follow after either humility or obedience, nor will 
grant that it is the gift of grace itself that vre are obe- 



44 MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 

dient and humble, he resisteth the apostle, who says, 
^' What hast thou that thou hast not received ?'* and 
''By the grace of God I am what I am." So the 
African Council affirms the sentence of exclusion against 
Pelagius and Coelestius ''until they acknowledge, by 
open confession, that the grace of God by Jesus Christ 
our Lord doth help us by single acts, not only to 
know, but also to do righteousness ; so that without it 
we can neither- have, think, speak, nor do anything 
of the nature of true and holy piety/' 

The Latter Confession of Helvetia says that since 
the fall, the understanding and will " are so altered in 
man, that they are not able to do that now, which they 
could do before his fall." Again: "Man, not as yet 
regenerate, hath no free-will to good, no strength to 
perform that, which is good." In proof of this doc- 
trine it presently quotes several texts of Scripture, of 
which the following are two: "Unto you it is given in 
the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but 
also to suffer for his sake;" and, "It is God, which 
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good plea- 
sure." Phil. i. 29 and ii. 13. The Confession of 
Basle says : " Our nature is defiled, and become so 
prone unto sin, that, except it be renewed by the Holy 
Ghost, man of himself can neither do nor will any 
good." John iii. 3. The Confession of Bohemia says: 
"That will of man, which before [the fall] was free, is 
now so corrupted, troubled and weakened, that hence- 
forth of itself and without the grace of God, it cannot 
choose, judge or wish fully ; nay it hath no desire, nor 
inclination, much less any ability to choose that good, 
wherewith God is pleased. For albeit it fell willingly, 
and of its own accord, yet, by itself, and by its own 



MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 46 

Strength, it could not rise again, nor recover that fall ; 
neither to this day, without the merciful help of God, 
is it able to do anything at all." Rom. vii. 19 — 23. 
Again: ^'No man by his own strength, or by the 
power of his own will, or of flesh and blood, can attain 
unto or have this saving or justifying faith, except 
God of his grace, by the Holy Ghost, and by the 
ministry of the Gospel preached, do plant it in the 
heart of whom he list, and when he list." John i. 13. 

The Confession of England says, " that the law of 
God is perfect, and requireth of us perfect and full 
obedience;" and '^ that we are able by no means to 
fulfil that law in this worldly life." In one edition 
the Augsburg Confession speaks thus : " Man's will 
hath no power to perform a spiritual righteousness 
without the Holy Spirit ;'^ and quotes in proof 1 Cor. 
ii. 14 and John xv. 5. The Confession of Saxony 
says: '^Manbyhis natural strength is not able to 
free himself from sin and eternal death." The Con- 
fession of Wirtemburg says: "As a man corporally 
dead is not able by his own strength to prepare or con- 
vert himself to receive corporal life; so he, who is 
spiritually dead, is not able by his own power to con- 
vert himself to receive spiritual life." The churches 
of England and Ireland both teach that " the condi- 
tion of man after the fall of Adam is such that he can- 
not turn and prepare himself, by his own natural 
strength and good works to faith and calling upon 
God." The Synod of Dort says that all men are " un- 
toward to all good tending to salvation, forward to 
evil ; dead in sins, slaves of sin, and neither will nor 
can (without the grace of the Holy Ghost, regener- 
ating them) set straight their own crooked nature, no, 



46 MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 

nor so much as dispose themselves to the amending of 
it." The Westminster Confession says that by our 
" original corruption, we are utterly indisposed, dis- 
abled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly in- 
clined to all evil/' Alas ! in what a sad condition we 
are by nature ! Ambrose says : " Though bound with 
the chains of my sins, I am held fast hand and foot, 
and buried in dead works, on thy call, God, I come 
forth free." Beveridge says: ^'I cannot pray, but I 
sin : I cannot hear or preach a sermon, but I sin : I 
cannot give an alms, or receive the sacrament, but I 
sin : nay, I cannot so much as confess my sins, but my 
confessions are still aggravations of them. My re- 
pentance needs to be repented of, my tears want wash- 
ing, and the very washing of my tears needs still to be 
washed over again with the blood of my Kedeemer." 
Truly all our hope is in free grace alone. If we are 
not still in the graves of death, it is because we are 
^' risen with Christ." 

Our helplessness, when left to ourselves, is as mani- 
fest in small as in great things, on little as on great 
occasions. It has long been observed that men are as 
apt to err from the right way upon a slight as upon a 
great provocation. Jonah said he did well to be an- 
gry, even unto death, about a gourd. A damsel put 
Peter to cursing and swearing. Job bore all his losses 
without one sinful word ; but when falsely accused by 
his brethren, he entirely lost his temper. A bee has 
killed a man, who had survived the perils and grievous 
wounds of battle. Many will weigh every word and 
speak the whole truth in solemn judicature, and yet 
forfeit veracity in talking with a child, or in telling an 
amusing anecdote. I have seen a man bear with com- 



MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 47 

posure the burning of his house, and yet lose proper 
control of himself, when charged too much for a quire 
of paper. John Newton says : " The grace of God is 
as necessary to create a right temper in Christians on 
the breaking of a china plate as on the death of an 
only son." We as truly need help from God to enable 
us in a right spirit to bear the tooth-ache as to suffer 
martyrdom in the cause of truth. In all things, at all 
times we need the grace of Christ. By it alone can 
we be or do anything pleasing to God, or salutary to 
our own souls. 

Many persons, who profess to be Arminians are as 
wide of holding the doctrines of Arminius, as those of 
Paul. The Leyden Professor says expressly : " It is 
impossible for free will without grace to begin or per- 
fect any true or spiritual good. I say, the grace of 
Christ, which pertains to regeneration, is simply and 
absolutely necessary for the illumination of the mind, 
the ordering of the affections, and the inclination of 
the will to that, which is good. It is that which ope- 
rates on the mind, the affections, and the will ; which 
infuses good thoughts into the mind, inspires good de- 
sires into the affections, and leads the will to execute 
good thoughts and good desires. It goes before, ac- 
companies, and follows. It excites, assists, works in, 
us to will, and works with us that we may not will in 
vain. It averts temptations, stands by and aids us in 
temptations, supports us against the flesh, the world, 
and Satan ; and, in the conflict, it grants us to enjoy 
the victory. It raises up again those, who are con- 
quered and fallen, it establishes them, and endues 
them with new strength, and renders them more cau- 
tious. It begins, promotes, perfects, and consummates 



48 MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 

salvation. I confess, that the mind of the natural and 
carnal man is darkened, his affections are depraved, 
his will is refractory, and that the man is dead in sin'' 

Richard Watson fully admits that "the sin of Adam 
introduced into his nature such a radical impotence 
and depravity, that it is impossible for his descendants 
to make any voluntary effort [of themselves] towards 
piety and virtue.'' He also quotes with entire appro- 
bation this celebrated sentence from Calvin : " Man is 
so totally overwhelmed, as with a deluge, that no part 
is free from sin, and therefore whatever proceeds from 
him is accounted sin." Would that many, who have 
subscribed the most orthodox formulas on this subject 
were really as sound as James Arminius and Richard 
Watson. 

Do not all these Scriptures and reasonings from 
Scripture make it clear that the victory over sin will 
never be gained by an arm of flesh ? Nature is too 
weak. She is broken, and crippled, and helf)less. In 
this work, all men, if left to themselves, are stark 
naught. They have no might to do good, though they 
are mighty to do evil. One of the most instructive 
portions of personal history is the record of various 
attempts made by several great men to reform their 
hearts by a self-invented discipline, without the aid of 
God's Holy Spirit. They have reflected, have made 
resolutions, have drawn up schedules of their vices to 
be corrected, have examined their hearts, have found 
fault with their own efforts, and have formed new 
plans ; but with the exception that now and then a 
decent exterior has been attained, all has been a sad 
failure. Their history was long ago given by Prosper : 
[' Though there have been some, who by their natural 



MAN IS UTTERLY IIELrLESS. 49 

understanding have endeavoured to resist vices, yet 
tliey have barrenly adorned only the life of tliis time ; 
but they could not attain to true virtues and everlast- 
ing happiness." Bernard addresses such in these 
words : " What have you philosophers to do with vir- 
tues, who are ignorant of Christ, the virtue of God ?'* 
Fuller's soap and much water will not take out the 
scarlet dye and crimson hue. Leviathan is not thus 
taken. The core of depravity is not thus extracted. 
" Old Adam is always too strong for young Melanc- 
thon." Prodigality may wage war on covetousness, 
pride on the love of popularity, the love of ease on the 
love of show, but one evil passion cannot so expel an- 
other as to purify the heart. " Restrained sensuality 
often takes a miser's cap, or struts in pharisaic pride." 
It is easy to pass from one sin to another, but to be- 
come holy is never possible but by the power of God's 
efficacious grace. '' Nature can no more cast out na- 
ture, than Satan can cast out Satan." 

These views are strengthened by the fact that we 
not only have sinful natures, but have also formed sin- 
ful habits, whose power is terrific. " Can the Ethio- 
pian change his skin ? or the leopard his spots ? then 
may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." 
Jer. xiii. 23. "If Adam, when he had committed but 
one sin, and that in a moment, did not seek to regain 
his lost integrity, how can any other man, who by a 
multitude of sinful acts hath made his habits of a 
giant-like stature, completed many parts of wicked- 
ness, and scoffed at the rebukes of conscience ?" The 
power of habit is such that even in the wanness and 
agony of death, its influence is often manifest in the 
whole manner of a dying man. But enough of this. 



50 MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 

In full accordance "witli all that has been said, these 
things are noticeable in Scripture. Firsty God has 
mercifully promised the needed strength and grace : 
^' My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is 
made perfect in weakness/' 2 Cor. xii. 9. "The 
Lord vfill give strength unto his people.'' Psa. xxix. 11. 
" Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." 
Psa. ex. 3. See also Deut. xxx. 6 — 8 ; Ezek. xi. 19, 20 
and many other places. Secondly^ pious men do uni- 
formly ascribe all their ability to God. " God is our 
refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." 
Psa. xlvi. 1. " In the day when I cried thou answer- 
edst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my 
soul." Psa. cxxxviii. 3. " Sing aloud imto God our 
strength." Psa. Ixxxi. 1. '' Our sufficiency is of God." 
2 Cor. iii. 5. '' I laboured more abundantly than they 
all ; . yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with 
me." 1 Cor. xv. 10. Thirdly ^ wise and good men 
always have looked to God alone and not at all to 
themselves or other men for ability to do right. " 
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fa- 
thers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the 
thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their 
heart unto thee." 1 Chron. xxix. 18. " that my 
ways were directed to keep thy statutes." " Incline 
my heart unto thy testimonies." " Quicken me, so 
shall I keep the testimonies of thy mouth." Psa. cxix. 
5, 36, 88. See also Heb. xiii. 20 and 21 and parallel 
passages. Let it, however, not be forgotten that our 
helplessness does not at all proceed from any defect in 
the original constitution of our minds as they came 
from the hands of God. He made man upright. It 
is sin, which has done all the mischief. This very 
helplessness is part and proof of our wickedness. Our 



MAN IS UTTERLY HELPLESS. 51 

very weakness is our crime. It is very wicked to have 
no right views of God, to have our minds full of igno- 
rance and prejudices against him, to have no heart to 
fear, love, or obey him, or to fail to do these things 
perfectly. Thus the Scriptures abundantly teach. 
Paul says neither in the way of boasting, nor of ex- 
cuse, but in confession and humiliation : " I know that 
in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing : 
for to will is present with me, but how to perform that 
which is good I find not." Rom. vii. 18 and context. 
'' The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit 
against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to 
the other ; so that ye cannot do the things that ye 
would." Gal. V. 17. He is not expressing approba- 
tion but reproof in so speaking to the Galatians. So 
when Peter describes a class of men, '' having eyes full 
of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin;" 2 Pet. 
ii. 14, no man will so far pervert his meaning as to 
say that he is freeing these people from blame. It 
was in reproof that Christ said, " How can ye believe, 
who receive honour one of another?" &c. In fact 
there is no deeper guilt in man, than that contracted 
by having no heart to do right. The very essence of 
filial impiety consists in having no heart to love and 
honour one's parents. The very ground of impiety to 
God is to have no heart to know, or love, or obey him. 
To have eyes and not see, to have ears and not hear, 
to have a heart and not understand is the very sin 
Isaiah charged on degenerate Israel, the very sin of 
apostate angels. If the helplessness induced by sin 
were any excuse or palliation of sin, fallen angels 
would be quite innocent, at least excusable; for no 
sober man will say that they can by any possibility 
turn to God and live. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



WITHOUT DIVINE GRACE MEN DO NOTHING BUT SIN. ^ 

Those, who live in sin, sin all the time. It is their 
trade, and they work hard at it. They love It, and 
are greedy of iniquity. They "love death." They 
"dig up evil." They "fill up their sin al^vays." 
They " do always resist the Holy Ghost." Never for 
an hour do they love God supremely. They sin with- 
out cessation. 

Two things are required to make an action right. 
One is that it be lawful in itself. The other is that it 
be done with a right motive. If the thing done be 
itself wrong, no motives can make it right. To steal, 
or curse, or murder, or despise the poor, or hate the 
just, can never under any circumstances be right. 
To do evil that good may come is the doctrine of none 
but devils, and the worst of men. On the other hand 
the thing done may be right in itself, but the motive, 
which governs us, may be wrong, and so the act may 
be sinful because the motive is sinful. Bad motives 
in good actions are like dead flies in sweet ointments. 
They corrupt the whole. The heart is everything. 
Most men of the world in Christian countries do many 
things, which are very proper, but not from love to 
God. No man, who has not been born again, ever 
does anything with holy motives. His life is better 
than his heart. Indeed his heart is the worst part of 
him. It is all wrong. It is hard, and proud, and 
(52) 



WITHOUT DIVINE OIIACE, &C. 53 

selfish, and unbelieving, and without any love to God. 
So far from pleasing God, all the unrcgencrate are 
continually offending him. Their very best works are 
but ''splendid sins." 

There are reasons found in human nature, which 
render it certain that unrenewed men will do nothing 
but sin. They are blind and see no beauty in holi- 
ness. They have no spiritual discernment. " They 
have eyes but they see not." " They know not what 
they do." If they do not see the beauty of holiness, 
how can they love it ? No being can love that, which 
does not seem to him good or comely. 

The man, who is without the grace of God, never 
fully approves the law of God, as holy, just and good, 
nor adopts it as the rule of his life. He does some 
things which it requires, and abstains from some 
things which it forbids, not because he loves God or 
his law, but because it promotes his health, or wealth, 
or honour, or quiet, to do so. God is not in all his 
thoughts. He would live very much as he does if the 
law of God were not known to him. Ask him, and he 
will tell you that he does not aim with a single eye to 
honour God in everything. He does not frame his 
doings to that end at all. All the lines of his con- 
duct meet and end in himself. He is without God in 
the world. He serves the creature more than the 
Creator. Nor is his heart without objects of love. 
He loves the world and the things of the world. 
When he prospers in the things that perish, he counts 
himself happy. He is greatly pleased with gold and 
silver, and objects of sense, and works of art. These 
are his gods, because he sets his heart on them. He 
6* 



64 WITHOUT DIVINE GRACE 

thinks of them ten times as much and a thousand times 
as eagerly as he thinks of God. 

What makes his case worse is that he is commonly 
much at ease. He is well pleased with himself. He 
is not sighing over his failures, and lamenting his sins. 
He thinks he is nearly good enough. Rivers of water 
never run down his eyes for his own sins or the sins 
of others. He seldom cries, " God, be merciful to me 
a sinner,'' and when he does, it is rather a form than 
a hearty prayer. His real belief is that God could 
not righteously and for ever condemn him ; at least 
he says, '' If I am lost, I know not what will become 
of many others." Would it not be strange that one, 
who cares not to serve God, should do it ? that he, 
who tries to please himself and wicked men, should as 
by accident please God ? that he, who seeks the ho- 
nour that comes from man, should find the honour that 
comes from God only? Surely there is no such con- 
fusion where God reigns. Pie does not put darkness 
for light, bitter for sweet, sin for holiness, and vice for 
virtue. 

Nor should men be offended at this doctrine. It is 
not new. It is not of human invention. It is not the 
doctrine held by a few only. It is not a mere theory. 
It is very practical, very important. No truth con- 
cerns any man more than this. It is the very doc- 
trine of the Bible in many places. Paul says : '' They 
that are after the flesh [who are unrenewed by God's 
Spirit] do mind the things of the flesh. ^ * To be car- 
nally-minded is death. * * The carnal [or unregene- 
rate] mind is enmity against God ; for it is not sub- 
ject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So 
then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.", 



MEN DO NOTHING BUT SIN. 66 

Rom. vIII. 5 — 8. Could words be plainer or stronger ? 
Until God shall be pleased with a heart that is enmity 
against him, and with a mind that " cannot he subject'' 
to his law, until he shall cease to be a holy God, he 
cannot be pleased with anything done by a man who 
has not the Spirit of God, and whose heart has not 
been mightily changed. 

Ploughing is itself a lawful act. If there be no 
ploughing, there can be no bread. Yet God says : 
''The ploughing of the wicked is sin.'' Yea, he puts 
it down with other sins, that greatly offend him. The 
whole verse reads thus : "An high look, and a proud 
heart, and the ploughing of the wicked is sin." Prov. 
xxi. 4. If God had intended to teach that everything, 
even the most common and necessary thing done by 
wicked men, was sinful, could he have chosen more fit 
w^ords ? 

But, here is a passage, which shows that all the 
religious services of sinners are defiled with sin. '' The 
sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord : 
but the prayer of the upright is his delight." There 
are but two classes of men known in the Bible. They 
are called saints and sinners, the just and the unjust, 
the righteous and the wicked, men of the way and men 
of the world. Their end will be different, because 
their characters are different. 

From the earliest ages of the Christian church this 
has been the uniform doctrine, held and insisted on 
by God's people. Basil in his treatise on baptism 
says expressly that it is not possible, nor a thing 
pleasing and acceptable to God, for one that is the 
servant of sin to perform righteousness, according to 
the rule of the saints' piety. In proof he urges these 



56 WITHOUT DIVINE GRACE 

words of our Saviour: "Let us first make the tree 
good J and then the fruit will be good;" and Ictus 
''first make clean the inside of the cup and platter," 
and then the outside will be wholly clean. He also 
refers to 2 Cor. vii. 1. Jerome says : " Let us pro- 
nounce our sentence against those that do not believe 
in Christ, and yet think themselves valiant, and wise, 
and temperate, and just, that they may know that 
none can live without Christ, without whom all virtue 
is in vice," or vicious. Augustine says: ''Be it far 
from us to think that true virtue should be in any one, 
unless he be a righteous man. And let it be as far 
from us to think that any one is truly righteous, un- 
less he live by faith." ''All the life of unbelievers is 
sin, and there is nothing good without the chief good : 
for where the knowledge of the eternal and unchange- 
able truth is wanting, there is but false virtue in the 
best manners." Again : " The man is first to be 
changed, that his works may be changed ; for if a man 
remain in that state that he is evil, he cannot have 
good works." 

Gregory says : " If faith be not first begotten in our 
hearts, all the other things cannot be good, though 
they may seem good." 

The Church of England and the Protestant Episco- 
pal Church in the United States of America do both 
say of works done before the grace of Christ and 
the inspiration of his Spirit, because " they are not 
done as God hath willed and commanded them to be 
done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin." 

The 5th article of the Church of L^eland contains 
the same words without alteration. It holds also this 
language: "We have no power to do good works, 



MEN DO NOTHIXa BUT SIN. 57 

pleasing and acceptable unto God, without the grace 
of God preventing [going before] us, that we may 
have a good will, and Avorking with us when we have 
that good will." It also incorporates these words from 
the Lambeth Articles : " The condition of man after 
the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn, and pre- 
pare himself, by his own natural strength and good 
works, to faith, and calling upon God." 

The Reformed Churches generally fully agree with 
the above testimonies. 

The Synod of Dort says : ^' There is indeed remain- 
ing in man, since the fall, some light of nature, by the 
help of which, he retains certain notions concerning 
God and natural things ; concerning the difference of 
things honourable and shameful, and manifests some 
desire after virtue and external discipline : but so far 
from his being able, by this light of nature, to attain 
to the saving knowledge of God, or to turn himself to 
him, he does not use it rightly in natural and civil 
things : nay, indeed, whatever thing it may at length 
be, he contaminates it aU in various ways, and holds 
it in unrighteousness, w^hich when he does, he is ren- 
dered inexcusable before God." 

The French Confession says : "Although man can 
somewhat discern between good and evil, yet we affirm, 
that whatsoever light he hath, it straightway becometh 
darkness, when the question is of seeking God, so that 
by his understanding and reason he can never come to 
God. Also, although he be endued with will, whereby 
he is moved to this or that, yet in as much as it is 
altogether captivated under sin, it hath no liberty at 
all to desire good, but such as it hath received by 
grace and of the gift of God." 



58 WITHOUT DIVINE GRACE 

The Augsturg Confession, which is the standard of 
the Lutheran churches in Germany and America, says : 
^' We condemn the Pelagians and all such as they are, 
who teach that by the only powers of nature, without 
the Holy Spirit, we may love God above all, and fulfil 
the law of God, as touching the substance of our ac- 
tions. We do freely and necessarily mislike these 
dreams ; for they do obscure the benefits of Christ. 
Tor therefore is Christ the Mediator set forth, and 
mercy promised in the gospel, because that the law 
cannot be satisfied by man's nature, as Paul witnesseth 
when he saith, (Rom. viii.) ' The wisdom of the flesh 
is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to the 
law of God, neither indeed can be.' For albeit that 
man's nature by itself can after some sort perform ex- 
ternal works (for it can contain the hands from theft 
and murder) yet can it not make those inward mo- 
tions, as true fear, true faith, patience, and chastity, 
unless the Holy Ghost do govern and help our hearts. 
And yet in this place also do we teach, that it is also 
the commandment of God, that the carnal motions 
should be restrained by the industry of reason and by 
civil discipline, as Paul saith, * * ' The law is given 
to the unjust.'" And again: "Albeit that men by 
their own strength be able to do outward honest deeds 
in some sort, and must also perform this civil obedi- 
ence : yet so long as men are void of faith, they are 
in the power of the devil, who driveth them to shame- 
ful sins, occupieth their minds with wicked and blas- 
phemous opinions, for that is the kingdom and tyranny 
of the devil. Moreover, nature is weak, and cannot 
without God's help strengthen itself to any spiritual 
works. ^' 



MEN DO NOTHING BUT SIN. 50 

The Moravian Confession says : ^^And since through 
faith the Holy Spirit is given, thus also the heart is 
made fit to do good works. For before that, as long 
as it is without the Holy Spirit, it is too weak ; and 
besides it is in the power of the devil, who impels the 
poor human nature to many sins. * * * Without faith 
and without Christ, human nature and ability is far 
too weak to do good works ; as to call upon God, to 
show patience in suifering, to love one's neighbour, 
diligently to discharge offices entrusted to us, to be 
obedient, to avoid evil lusts. Such noble and truly 
good works cannot be done without the help of Christ, 
as he himself speaks — J ohn xv. ' Without me ye can 
do nothing.' '' 

The Westminster Confession says : ^' Works done 
by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them 
they may be things which God commands, and of good 
use both to themselves and others ; yet because they 
proceed not from a heart purified by faith ; nor are 
done in a right manner, according to the word ; nor 
to a right end, the glory of God ; they are therefore 
sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to 
receive grace from God. And yet their neglect of 
them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.'' 

This article is found without alteration in the Con- 
fessions of all the Presbyterian bodies of Scotland, 
Ireland, and Canada, and of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States of America. It was incorporated 
entire into the Savoy Confession, into the Saybrook 
Platform, into the London Baptist Confession, into 
the Philadelphia Baptist Confession, as well as into 
the Confession of numerous smaller bodies in this and 
other countries. 



GO WITHOUT DIVINE GRACE 

The eighth article of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, 
and of the Protestant Methodist Church in the United 
States, is in these words : 

" The condition of man after the fall of Adam is 
such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his 
own natural strength and works to faith, and calling 
upon God : wherefore we have no power to do good 
w^orks, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the 
grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may 
have that good will, and working with us, when we 
have that good will." 

The Confession of Sueveland says : " Good works 
(which are good indeed) do proceed from a lively faith, 
by the Holy Ghost, and are done of the faithful ac- 
cording to the will or rule of God's word." 

The Confession of Basle says : " The Lord himself 
saith, ' Without me ye can do nothing ;' John xv. 5 ; 
that is, nothing that may please God and be for your 
salvation. * * Faith and love are the fountain and 
square of all virtues and good w^orks, according to the 
testimony of the Apostle : ' The end of the command- 
ment is love, out of a pure heart, and a good con- 
science, and faith not feigned.' 1 Tim. i. 5. And 
again : ^Without faith it is impossible to please God.' 
Heb. xi. 6." 

The Confession of Belgia says : " We are justified 
by faith in Christ, yea, even before such time as we 
could bring forth any good work : for our works before 
faith can no more be good, than the fruit of a tree can 
be good, before the tree itself be good." 

The Confession of Saxony says: "External disci- 
pline; even where it is most honest, is not a fulfilling of 



MEN DO NOTHINa BUT SIN. Gl 

the law. * "^ But all this discipline is an external 
government, such as it is ; like unto the leaf of the 
fig-tree, wherewith our first parents, after their fall, 
did cover their nakedness : neither doth it any more 
take away sin, and the corruption of nature, and 
death, than those fig-leaves did." 

The Confession of Wirtemberg says : " We confess 
and believe that to do and practise such righteousness 
as is acceptable to God, these virtues be necessary — 
faith, hope, and love : and that man cannot of himself 
conceive these virtues, but doth receive them of the 
favour and grace of God." 

These extracts from the standards of different bodies 
of Christians might have been much more extended. 
They are, however, sufficient to show that the doctrine 
here set forth is not novel ; is not the doctrine of a 
few extreme writers, but is the common doctrine of 
the purest and most zealous churches. The fair argu- 
ments used and the texts quoted in these Confessions 
do mightily strengthen the arguments and proofs be- 
fore quoted. It is not too much to say that it has 
been fairly and scripturally proven, that unregenerate 
men do sin always, and that none of them do anything 
but sin against God. 

Is not the misery of an unregenerate state indescri- 
bable and unfathomable ? No wonder that pious Ezra, 
having some just sense of the evil of sin, and the vile- 
ness of men, " did eat no bread, nor drink water be- 
cause of the transgression of them that had been car- 
ried away." No wonder that Jeremiah said of the 
wicked of his day : '^ If ye will not hear it, my soul 
shall weep in secret places." Even Daniel "was 
astonied for one hour and his thoughts troubled 
6 



62 WITHOUT DIVINE GRACE, &C. 

him," when he foresaw the ruin which the king of Ba- 
bylon was about to bring on himself by his royal crimes. 
All the unregenerate do nothing but -sin. If for a while 
they seem to reform, they soon return to their wicked- 
ness, as the dog to his vomit, or the sow that was washed 
to her wallowing in the mire. All their goodness is as 
the morning cloud ; as the early dew it passeth away. 
They sometimes return from outward acts of sin ; but 
they return not unto the Lord. When the unclean 
spirit is gone out of a man and returns again, " the 
last state of that man is worse than the first." Matt, 
xii. 45. Neither mercies, nor judgments, nor promises, 
nor threatenings, nor hopes, nor fears, without the 
grace and spirit of Christ, will or can ever cure the 
love, or arrest the practice, of sin. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE COKRUPTION OF MAN IS HEKEDITARY. 

No mere man was ever born without a sinful na- 
ture. The Son of God miraculously derived his hu- 
man nature from his mother alone, and escaped the 
taint of original sin. Mary herself however was a 
sinner and needed a Saviour, as she readily confessed. 
Luke i. 47. As Eusebius Emesenus said, " the mo- 
ther of the Redeemer is not otherwise loosed from the 
bonds of ancient sin, than by redemption." All the 
Pope's letters on this subject about the middle of the 
nineteenth century are idle dreams. Every human 
being whose descent has been in the ordinary way has 
inherited a corrupt nature. The faith of the people 
of God on this subject has been as uniform as on any 
other truth of the Gospel. In Psa. li. 6, in the midst 
of the humblest and most penitent confessions, David 
says : " Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin 
did my mother conceive me." All attempts to set 
aside the clear teachings of this passage have been 
such as rather to shock by their profaneness, than to 
deceive by their plausibility. Sound commentators 
have been wonderfully agreed as to the teaching of 
this verse. Ambrose says : "All are born in sin, as 
David witnesseth," and then quotes these words. Lu- 
ther says : " It is a great part of wisdom, for one to 

(63) 



64 THE CORRUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 

know, that there is nothing good in us, but vain sin, 
that we do not think and speak so triflingly of sin as 
those, who say that it is nothing else than the thoughts, 
words, and deeds, which are contrary to the law of 
God. But if thou wilt rightly point out according to 
this Psalm, what sin is, thou must say, that all is sin, 
which is born of father and mother, even before the 
time that man is of age to know what to do, speak, or 
think." Calvin says: '^ David does not confess him- 
self guilty merely of some one or more sins, as for- 
merly, but he rises higher, that from his mother's 
womb he has brought forth nothing but sin, and by 
nature is wholly corrupt, and, as it were, immersed in 
sin. And certainly we have no solid conviction of sin, 
unless we are led to accuse our whole nature of cor- 
ruption.'' Perhaps in all his writings this great man 
has not made a remark more fully coincident with re- 
ligious experience, and of more weight in personal 
piety than the last sentence quoted from him: "Oer- 
tainly we have no solid conviction of sin^ unless we are 
led to accuse our whole nature of corruption.'' Bishop 
Patrick's paraphrase of the verse is : " It is true in- 
deed, and thou, Lord, knowest it better than I, that 
there is in me an innate proneness to evil ; but I am 
so far from representing this as an excuse for what I 
have done, that I confess the consideration of it ought 
to have rendered me the more watchful and diligent 
to suppress those bad inclinations ; which I knew to 
be so natural, that I brought them into the world with 
me." 

Bishop Home says : " The divine mercy is implored 
by the penitent, fourthly, because that alone can dry 
up the fountain of original corruption, from which the 



THE CORIIUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 65 

streams of actual transgression derive themselves ; and 
which is here only lamented as their cause, not as 
their excuse ; seeing that the greater our danger is of 
failing, the greater should be our care to stand. Da- 
vid was the offspring of the marriage-bed, which is 
declared to be 'honourable and undefiled.' No more, 
therefore, can be intended here, than that a creature 
begotten by a sinner, and formed in the womb of a 
sinner, cannot be without that taint, which is here- 
ditary to every son and daughter of Adam and Eve." 

Matthew Henry says : " He confesses his original 
corruption." ^ ^ " He elsewhere speaks of the piety of 
his mother, that she was God's handmaid, and he 
pleads his relation to her, (Psa. cxvi. 16, and Ixxxvi. 16,) 
and yet he here says she conceived him in sin ; for 
though she was, by grace, a child of God, she was by 
nature a daughter of Eve, and not excepted from the 
common character. Note, It is to be sadly lamented 
by every one of us that we brought into the world 
with us a corrupt nature, wretchedly degenerated from 
its primitive purity and rectitude." 

Dr. Scott says that David, " having received from 
his parents Adam's fallen nature with all its evil pro- 
pensities, confesses that he was conceived and shapen 
in iniquity." 

Hengstenberg says that the doctrine of original sin 
is so plainly taught here, " that nothing but the most 
confused mind can deny it. For when David con- 
fesses, that even before the development of his con- 
sciousness, before the time of his distinguishing be- 
tween good and evil, that even at his birth, nay at his 
very conception, sin dwelt in him, and had so poisoned 
his nature, that he was quite incapable of attaining to 
6* 



66 THE CORRUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 



* 



true righteousness and wisdom ; he places himself in 
direct collision with those, who consider vsin merely as 
a product of the abused freedom of each individual, 
and leaves room for no other derivation of sinfulness 
than this, that it goes down from parents to their child- 
ren, according to the word, ' what is born of the flesh 
is flesh/ " 

Dr. J. A. Alexander says: '^Having just before 
confessed his actual transgressions, he now acknow- 
ledges the corruption of his nature." 

Theologians no less than commentators have taken 
the same view of this text. Even John Tayloi: of 
Norwich admits that the first clause is correctly trans- 
lated " I was born in sin." Whereupon Edwards well 
says, ^' If it is owned that man is horn in sin, it is not 
worth the while to dispute, whether it is expressly 
asserted that he is conceived in sin." Bishop Beve- 
ridge says, " Sin was in his heart, whilst he was in his 
mother's womb ; for seeing he was conceived in sin, 
sin must needs be conceived in him." Alexander Hill 
says: ''The Scriptures not only declare that all have 
sinned, but they seem to refer the abounding of ini- 
quity to a cause antecedent to education, example or 
the operation of particular circumstances ; and in 
numberless places they represent the nature of man as 
corrupt. Of this kind are the following : ' The ima- 
gination of man's heart is evil from his youth.' 'Be- 
hold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mo- 
ther conceive me.' ' The wicked are estranged from 
the womb, they go astray as soon as they be born, 
speaking lies.' 'Who can bring a clean thing out 
of an unclean? Not one.'" Dr. Leonard Woods of 
Andover says : " Is it not a plain matter of fact, that 



THE COmiUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 67 

a depraved nature, a propensity to sin, is transmitted 
from parent to child, and has descended from the com- 
mon ancestor of our race to all his posterity ? Are 
we not ' degenerate plants of a strange vine V And 
if depravity comes in this way, what impropriety is 
there in calling it hereditary T' These views have 
been presented chiefly in connection with one text of 
Scripture, rather than to call attention to many. If 
any prefer to examine others, they are easily found. 
The true spirit of David's confession in Psa. li. 5 is 
fully coincident with the sentiments of every deeply 
humble and penitent man that ever lived. 

Different Christian Churches have spoken very 
strongly and harmoniously on the subject of native 
depravity. The Confession of Bohemia says: "A se- 
cond kind of sin is original sin, naturally engendered 
in us, and hereditary ; wherein we are all conceived 
and born into this world." The Confession of France 
says: "We believe that all the offspring of Adam is 
infected with this contagion, which we call original 
sin : that is a stain spreading itself by propagation, 
and not by imitation only as the Pelagians thought ; 
all whose errors we do detest. Neither do we think it 
necessary to search how this sin may be derived from 
one unto another. For it is sufficient that those things 
which God gave unto Adam, were not given to him 
alone, but also to all his posterity ; and therefore we, 
in his person, being deprived of all these good gifts 
are fallen into all this misery and curse." 

The Confession of England holds this language : 
" We say also that every person is born in sin, and 
leadeth his life in sin : that nobody is able truly to 
^ay his heart is clean." The Confession of Scotland 



68 THE CORRUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 

says that by the fall '' the image of God was utterly 
defaced in man ; and he, and his posterity of nature 
became enemies to God, slaves to Satan, and servants 
to sin." The Confession of Belgia teaches that, " Ori- 
ginal sin is a corruption of the whole nature, and an 
hereditary evil; wherewith even the very infants in 
their mothers' womb are polluted; (Psa. li. 5,) the 
which also as a most noisome root doth branch out 
most abundantly all kind of sin in man.'^ The Augs- 
burg Confession says that " after the fall of Adam, all 
men descended one from another after a natural man- 
ner have original sin, even when they are born/' The 
Confession of Saxony says: ^'As touching original 
sin, we do plainly affirm that we do retain the consent 
of the true Church of God, delivered to us from the 
first fathers, prophets, apostles, and the apostles' 
scholars, even unto Augustine, and after his time, and 
we do expressly condemn Pelagius, and all those, who 
have scattered in the Church like doting follies." The 
Confession of Wirtemberg says : " We believe and 
confess that in the beginning, man was created of God, 
just, wise, endued with free will, adorned with the 
Holy Ghost, and happy ; but that afterwards for his 
disobedience, he was deprived of the Holy Ghost, and 
made the bondman of Satan, and subject both to cor- 
poral and eternal damnation ; and that evil did no't 
stay in one only Adam, but was derived into all the 
posterity." The Church of England, the Church of 
Ireland, and the Wesleyan Methodist Churches all hold 
this language : " Original sin standeth not in the fol- 
lowing of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk) but 
in the corruption of the nature of every man, that 
naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, 



TnE CORRUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 69 

■whereby man is very far [Latin edition, quam longis- 
sim'h] gone from original righteousness, and of his own 
nature inclined to evil and that continually/' The 
Synod of Dort says : " Such as man was after the fall, 
such children he begat ; namely, a corrupt issue from 
a corrupt father ; this corruption being by the just 
judgment of God derived from Adam to all his poste- 
rity (Christ only excepted) and that not by imitation 
(as of old the Pelagians would have it), but by the 
propagation of nature/' The London and Philadel- 
phia Baptist, the Savoy, Cambridge and Boston Con- 
gregational, and the Presbyterian Confessions in Great 
Britain and America, say that a '^ corrupted nature is 
conveyed to all the posterity of our first parents," and 
that thereby " we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and 
made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all 
evil." 

The Heidelberg Catechism, speaking of the misery 
of man, says : 
''3. Whence knowest thou thy misery? 

Out of the law of God. 

4. What doth the law of God require of us ? 
Christ teacheth us briefly, (Matt. xxii. 37 — 40,) 

" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy 
strength. This is the first and the great command ; 
and the second is like to this : Thou shalt love thy 
neighbour as thyself. On these two commands hang 
the whole law and the prophets." 

5. Canst thou keep all these things perfectly? 

In no wise ; for I am prone by nature to hate God 
and my neighbour. 



70 THE CORRUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY.' 

6. Did God then create man so wicked and per- 
verse ? 

By no means, but God created man good, and after 
his own image, in righteousness and true holiness, that 
he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love 
him, and live with him in eternal happiness, to glorify 
him and praise him. 

7. Whence, then, proceeds this depravity of human 
nature ? 

From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, 
Adam and Eve, in Paradise ; hence our nature is be- 
come so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born 
in sin. 

8. Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly inca- 
pable of doing any good, and inclined to all wicked- 
ness? 

Indeed we are, except we are regenerated by the 
Spirit of God. 

9. Doth not God then do injustice to man, by re- 
quiring of him, in his law, that which he cannot per- 
form ? 

Not at all ; for God made man capable of perform- 
ing it ; but man, by the instigation of the devil, and 
his own wilful disobedience, deprived himself and all 
his posterity of those divine gifts. 

10. Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion 
to go unpunished ? 

By no means, but he is terribly displeased with our 
original as well as actual sins ; and will punish them 
in his just judgment temporally and eternally, as he 
hath declared, " Cursed is every one that continueth 
not in all things which are written in the book of the 
law, to do them." 



THE CORRUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 71 

11. Is not God then also merciful ? 

God is indeed merciful, but also just ; therefore his 
justice requires that sin, which is committed against 
the most high majesty of God, be also punished with 
extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment, both of 
body and soul." 

John Wesley says, " If, therefore, we take away 
this foundation, that man is by nature foolish and sin- 
ful, fallen short of the glorious image of God, the 
Christian system falls at once ; nor will it deserve so 
honourable an appellation as that of a ' cunningly de- 
vised fable.' " 

Richard Watson says : " The true Arminian, as 
fully as the Calvinist, admits the doctrine of the total 
depravity of human nature in consequence of the fall 
of our first parents." Arminius, speaking of the first 
sin of the first man^ says: "The whole of this sin is 
not peculiar to our first parents, but is common to the 
whole race, and to all their posterity, who at the time 
when the first sin was committed, were in their loins, 
and who afterwards descended from them in the natu- 
ral mode of propagation." 

Richard Baxter says : " You cannot exempt infants 
themselves from sin and misery without exempting 
them from Christ the Redeemer, and the remedy." 
*' If infants have no sin and misery, then they are 
none of the body, the church, which Christ loved and 
gave himself for, that he might cleanse it." 

Beveridge says : "Adam begat Seth and all his pos- 
terity in his own likeness, (Gen. v. 3,) and, if in his 
own likeness, then sinners like himself. A wolf be- 
gets wolves, not lambs ; so a sinner begat sinners, not 
saints." 

Corrupt as is the Church of Rome, and false as is 



72 THE CORRUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 

her system of doctrine by reason of countless human 
inventions and idle traditions, yet she has never de- 
nied original sin. The Council of Trent did " decree, 
confess, and declare" that any man fatally errs, " who- 
soever shall affirm that Adam's prevarication injured 
himself only, and not his posterity, and that he lost 
the purity and righteousness, which he had received 
from God, for himself only, and not also for us ; or 
that when he became polluted by disobedience he 
transmitted to all mankind corporal death and punish- 
ment only, but not sin also which is the death of the 
soul." The great champion of that Church, Bellar- 
mine, in his commentary on the Psalms, remarking on 
these words, ''Behold I was sliapen in iniquity^ and in 
sin did my mother conceive m^," says that David was 
speaking of our '^ first origin, and of the sin of the first 
man transfused into us by generation, from which we 
have become weak and prone to sin." And he brings 
in St. Augustine arguing for the same sense because 
David was the fruit of a lawful and " chaste marriage 
between his pious parents." In like manner Bossuet 
says : ^' David was descended from Jesse, a just man, 
and from his wife. Why therefore does he say that 
he had been conceived in sin, except that he had taken 
the person of human kind, had his mind turned to the 
fetters, which bind all, and had adverted to the stock 
or fountain of death, the origin of iniquity ?" 

Let the celebrated sajdng of Augustine not be for- 
gotten : " Neither the guilty unbeliever, nor the justi- 
fied believer begets innocent but guilty children ; be- 
cause the generation of both is from corrupted nature.'' 
Nor is the remark of Calvin less weighty : '' Original 
sin is properly accounted sin in the sight of God, be- 
cause there could be no guilt without crime.". 



THE CORRUPTION OF MAN IS HEREDITARY. 73 

As frequent allusion is made to the Pelagians it may- 
be useful here to insert their opinions on the subject 
of the native corruption of man. Pelagius says : " In 
our birth we are equally destitute of virtue and vice ; 
and previously to moral agency, there is nothing in 
man, but that which God created in him." His dis- 
ciple Coelestius held that " infants are born in that 
state in which Adam was before he sinned.'' Julian, 
another of the same school, held that " human nature 
in the time of our being born is rich in the gift of inno- 
cence ;'' and '^nobody is born with sin." It is a very 
favourite idea with all Pelagians that sin consists only 
in acts, and is a voluntary transgression of known law 
and nothing else. Thus Pelagius himself says : " It 
is disputed concerning nature, whether it is debilitated 
or deteriorated by sin. And here, in my opinion, the 
first inquiry ought to be, what is sin ? Is it a sub- 
stance, or is it a mere name devoid of substance ; not 
a thing, not an existence, not a body, nor anything 
else (which has a separate existence) but an act ; and 
if this is its nature, as I believe it is, how could that 
which is devoid of substance debilitate or change hu- 
man nature?'' In reading such a clause one almost 
imagines himself listening to the lectures of an Ame- 
rican heresiarch, labouring to prove that all sin consists 
in acts. As to the text of Scripture, on which such 
rely, it should be remembered that while we read " sin 
is the transgression of the law;" (1 John iii. 4,) the 
word rendered ''transgression" is literally "want of 
conformity," and no one denies that sin is either a 
transgression of law, or a want of conformity to it. 
The same inspired apostle tells us that ''all unrighteous- 
ness is sin." 1 John v. 17, 
7 



CHAPTER X, 



MEN ARE GUILTY. — IMPUTATION OF ADAM S SIN. — 
ACTUAL SINS. 

In all inquiries it is important to understand the use 
of terms. This is quite true when we speak of guilt 
and of being guilty. The word guilt sometimes sig- 
nifies a crime, an ofFencCj a sin. In colloquial use this 
sense is common. So v/hen we speak of guilty con- 
ductj we mean it is sinful, or criminal conduct. Some- 
times the word guilt is taken in the sense of conscious- 
ness of guilt. This is an improper but not an uncom- 
mon use of the word. Thus when a man is said to be 
borne down by his guilt, the meaning often is that he 
is oppressed by a sense of his sinfulness. Again, guilt 
is the state of a man justly charged with a crime. In 
this sense he, who has done the deed charged in an 
indictment, is said to be guilty. The charge is true 
of him. Again, guilt signifies exposure to forfeiture, 
or penalty, on account of some law violated. Thus 
Kent says, ''A ship incurs guilt by the violation of a 
blockade." This was by far the most common sense 
of the word when our English translation of the Bible 
was made. Accordingly we there find the phrase 
^'guilty of death," which evidently means justly liable 
to the penalty of death. Indeed our word, guilt, is 
derived from the Saxon, gylt^ which signifies a fine or 
a debt. To pay a gylt was to pay a debt or fine* 
(74) 



MEN AKE GUILTY. 75 

This is also by far the most common sense of the word 
as used by theologians. Thus Edwards in his treatise 
on original sin says : " Universal guilt of sin might 
also be demonstrated from the appointment, and the 
declared use and end of the ancient sacrifices ; and 
also from the ransom which every one that was num- 
bered in Israel was directed to pay, to make atone- 
ment for his soul/' So also Ridgley says : " Forgive- 
ness of sin, without a right to eternal life, would ren- 
der our justification incomplete ; therefore, when any 
one is pardoned by an act of grace, he is put in pos- 
session of that which, by his rebellion, he had for- 
feited ; he is considered, not only as released out of 
prison, but as one who has the privileges of a subject, 
such as those which he had before he committed the 
crime. Without this he would be like Absalom, when, 
upon Joab's intercession with David, the guilt of mur- 
der, which he had contracted, was remitted so far, as 
that he had liberty to return from Geshur, whither he 
was fled ; nevertheless, he reckons himself not fully 
discharged from the guilt he had contracted, and con- 
cludes his return to Jerusalem, as it were, an insignifi- 
cant privilege, unless, by being admitted to see the 
king's face, and enjoy the privileges, which he was 
possessed of before, he might be dealt with as one who 
was taken into favour, as well as forgiven." These are 
but specimens of the proof at hand that theologians 
use the term guilt in the sense of exposure to penal 
suffering. In this sense it is commonly used in this 
chapter. By saying that men are dreadfully guilty, it 
is taught that they are justly exposed and fairly liable 
to dreadful penal sufferings. 

Man is not only vile and helpless, he is also guilty. 



76 MEN ARE GUILTY. 

He is not only depraved and without strength, he Ib 
also condemned. The wicked not only have their con- 
sciences to clamour against them, but God is angry 
with them every day. Inspiration has settled it that 
we are " by nature the children of wrath even as 
others.'' Bph. ii. 3. Yes, bi/ nature we are under 
WTath. To be a child of sorrow is to be subject to 
sorrow. To be a child of wrath is to be subject to 
wrath. This doctrine is taught in the most explicit 
terms. Paul says : " By one man sin entered into the 
world and death by sin ;" "Through the offence of 
one many be dead;" "The judgment was by one to 
condemnation ;" " By one man's offence death reigned 
by one ;" " By the offence of one judgment came upon 
all men to condemnation ;" '^By one man's disobedi- 
ence many were made sinners ;" Kom. v. 12 — 19. "In 
Adam all die.'' 1 Cor. xv. 22. Clearer and more va- 
ried terms could not be required to teach us that we 
are b^/ nature under a curse, liable to wrath, suffering 
a penalty. So the Church of Christ has always un- 
derstood the sacred writers. This appears by many 
monuments of ancient and modern times. 

Cyprian says : " There were before Christ also fa- 
mous men, prophets and priests ; but being conceived 
and born in sin, they wanted neither original nor per- 
sonal guilt.'* Jerome says : "All men are held to be 
guilty, either in consequence of the sin of Adam, their 
ancient progenitor, or by their own personal act." 
So also the great weight of Augustine's arguments fell 
upon and crushed the favourite dogma of Pelagius, 
" that the consequences of Adam's sin were confined 
to his own person." He says : "We were all in that 
one man, when he, being one, corrupted us all." He 



IMPUTATION OF ADAM'S SIN. 77 

also thus defended himself against the perversions of 
his views : " The opinion which I delivered, that sin 
injures no nature but that in which it is committed, 
the Pelagians apply to the support of their own doc- 
trine, that little children cannot be hurt by the sin of 
another, but only by their own ; but considering that, 
as they belong to human nature, which has contracted 
original sin, for human nature sinned in our first pa- 
rents, it is true, therefore, that no sins can hurt human 
nature but its own." In fact a denial of the federal 
headship of Adam has commonly been followed by de- 
nying the federal headship of Christ. Although the 
enemies of truth are often rancorous in their opposi- 
tion to the doctrine of our representation in Adam, 
yet the Church of God has never been ashamed of it. 
The Latter Confession of Helvetia having spoken of 
the fall of man into sin, death, and divers calamities, 
says : ''By death we understand not only bodily death, 
which is once to be suffered of us all for sins, but also 
everlasting punishments due to our corruption and our 
sins." The Confession of Basle says that by the fall 
all mankind became " subject unto damnation." The 
Confession of Bohemia says that by the fall, man " cast 
headlong both himself and all his posterity into sin, 
death, and all kinds of miseries in this life, and into 
punishments eternal after this life." The Confession 
of France says : " We believe that this stain is indeed 
sin ; because it maketh all and every man guilty of 
eternal death before God." The Confession of Belgia 
says that original sin " is so filthy and abominable in 
the sight of God that it alone is sufiicient to the con- 
demnation of all mankind." The Augsburg Confes- 
sion begins its account of original sin by saying that 
7 * 



78 MEN ARE GUILTY. 

it is " that guilt, whereby all that come into the world, 
are, through Adam's fall, subject to God's wrath and 
eternal death." The Churches of England and Ire- 
land in their Articles say that " in every person born 
into the world original sin deserveth God's wrath and 
damnation." The Synod of Dort condemns the er- 
rors of those, who teach " that it cannot well be 
aflSrmed that original sin is sufficient for the condemn- 
ing of all mankind, or for the deserving of temporal 
and eternal punishment." They declare that such go 
against the Apostle in Rom. v. 12 — 19, and vi. 23. 
The Westminster Confession, now so extensively 
adopted in Great Britain and America by orthodox 
churches, says : " Every sin, both original and actual, 
being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and 
contrary thereunto, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt 
upon the sinner; whereby he is bound over to the 
wrath of God, and curse of the law% and so made sub- 
ject to death with all miseries, spiritual, temporal and 
eternal." 

Should any be inclined to think these remarks need- 
lessly protracted, let them remember, ^1. that the doc- 
trine of the guilt of Adam's first sin being imputed to 
his posterity has been opposed, vilified and maligned 
in an extraordinary way ; and, 2. that the entire work 
of Christ as a Saviour ^\i\\ soon be deemed unneces- 
sary by those, who are bold enough to deny original 
sin. The ablest writers the Church has ever had, have 
taken this view of this doctrine. Ridgley says : " The 
Apostle calls Adam the figure of him that was to 
come, Rom. v. 14. Now, in what was Adam a type 
of Christ ? Not as he was a man, consisting of soul 
and body ; for, in that respect, all that lived before 



IMPUTATION OF ADAM'S SIN. 79 

Christ might as justly be called types of him. When- 
ever we read of any person or thing being a type in 
Scripture, there are some peculiar circumstances, by 
Avliich they may be distinguished from all other per- 
sons or things, that are not types. Now Adam was 
distinguished from all other persons, more especially 
as he was the federal head of all his posterity ; and 
that he was so, appears from what the Apostle not 
only occasionally mentions, but largely insists on, and 
shows in what respect this was true ; and he particu- 
larly observes, that as one conveyed death, the other 
was the head, or Prince of Life. These respective 
things, indeed, were directly opposite, therefore the 
analogy, or resemblance consisted only in the manner 
of conveying them : so that as death did not become 
due to us, in the first instance of our liableness to it, 
for our own actual sin, but the sin of Adam ; that 
right we have to eternal life, by justification, is not 
the result of our own obedience, but Christ's. This is 
plainly the Apostle's method of reasoning." 

The elder President Edwards says : " Vf hen the 
doctrine of original sin is spoken of, it is vulgarly un- 
derstood in that latitude, which includes not only the 
depravity of nature^ but the imputation of Adam's 
first sin ; or, in other words, the liableness and ex- 
posedness of Adam's posterity, in the divine judg- 
ment, to partake of the punishment of that sin. So 
far as I know, most of those who have held one of 
these, have maintained the other ; and most of those, 
who have opposed one, have opposed the other." He 
shows his estimate of the importance of this doctrine 
when he devotes an entire chapter to its separate con- 
sideration. He also says that 'Uhe rejection of the 



80 MEN ARE GUILTY. 

•doctrine of original sin renders redemption unneces- 
sary." 

Thomas Boston in his discourse on Rom. v. 19 
says : " There are only two ways how men might be 
made sinners by the disobedience of Adam ; viz. either 
by imputation or imitation. The last is not meant ; 

(1) Because some of those many who are made sinners 
are not capable of imitation or actual sin, viz. infants. 

(2) Because we are made righteous, not by the imita- 
tion, but imputation of Christ's righteousness ; but as 
we are made righteous by the one, so we are made sin- 
ners by the other." 

Owen says : Adam's " actual sin is imputed unto us, 
as that which becomes ours by that imputation, which 
before it was not." 

Bishop Beveridge says : "We see the Apostle say- 
ing, ^ All have sinned,' (Rom. v. 12,) before all were 
born, which could not be unless they had before sinned 
in him from whom they were born. And so, many 
render the words 'in whom all have sinned;' and 
therefore the same Apostle tells us, 'In Adam all 
died.' 1 Cor. xv. 22. Now how could all die in him, 
unless all sinned in him ? For death is the wages of 
sin only, as well as the only wages of sin." 

Richard Baxter says : " Infants are not made right- 
eous by Christ, if they were not sinners ; and sinners 
they cannot be by any but original sin." 

The celebrated James Arminius of the University 
of Leyden, though erroneous in many things, yet 
closes a paragraph on original sin with these words : 
" From these things, the imputation of the sin of our 
first parents is necessarily inferred ; for wherever 
there is the punishment of sin there is the imputation 



IMPUTATION OF ADAM'S SIN. 81 

of the same/' Again: "Whatever punishment was 
inflicted on our first parents, has also pervaded all 
their posterity, and still oppresses them ; so that all 
are by nature children of wrath, (Eph. ii. 31,) ob- 
noxious to condemnation, and to death temporal and 
eternal, (Rom. v. 12,) and are, lastly, devoid of that 
[primeval] righteousness and holiness ; with which 
evils they would continue oppressed for ever, unless 
they were delivered from them by Jesus Christ ; to 
whom be glory for ever and ever.'' (Rom. v. 18, 19.) 

Richard Watson says : " In Romans v. Adam and 
Christ are contrasted in their public or federal charac- 
ter ; and the hurt which mankind have derived from 
the one, and the healing they have received from the 
other, are also contrasted in various particulars, which 
are equally represented as the effects of the ' offence' 
of Adam, and of the ' obedience' of Christ. Adam, 
indeed, in verse 14, is called, with allusion to this 
public representative character, the figure, 'tvTto^^ type, 
or model of ' Him that was to come.' The same Apos- 
tle also adopts the phrases ' the first Adam,^ and ' the 
second Adam,' which mode of speaking can only be 
explained on the ground, that as sin and death de- 
scended from one, so righteousness and life flow from 
the other ; and that what Christ is to all his spiritual 
seed, that Adam is to all his natural descendants. On 
this, the parallel is founded, ' Eor as in Adam all die, 
so in Christ shall all be made alive ;' (1 Cor. xv. 22,) 
words, which on any other hypothesis can have no na- 
tural signification." 

Even Bellarmine says : " The sin of Adam is so im- 
puted to all his posterity, as if they had all committed 
the same sin." 



82 MEN ARE GUILTY. 

It ought constantly to be remembered that errorlsts 
have an almost uniform mode of attacking the truth. 
They would subvert the doctrine of universal depra- 
vity, and they begin by attacking native depravity. 
They would set aside the whole doctrine of original 
sin, and they commence by finding fault with the im- 
putation of Adam's first sin. There is also a constant 
sinking down into lower error. Pelagius first propa- 
gated his errors by putting objections into the mouths 
of others, and by suggesting difficulties to the true 
doctrine. But his follower Julian unblushingly said : 
'' The triune God should be adored as most just ; and 
it has been made to appear most irrefragably, that the 
sin of another never can be imputed by him to little 
children." Again: "Hence that is evident, which we 
defend as most reasonable, that no one is born in sin, 
and that God never judges men to be guilty on ac- 
count of their birth." *' Children, inasmuch as they 
are children, never can be guilty, until they have done 
something by their own proper will." There is about 
as close an agreement between the enemies of truth in 
different ages as to the language they will adopt in op- 
posing sound doctrine, as there is among its friends in 
the manner of maintaining it. 

But as if this condemnation by nature, this death by 
the sin of our progenitor imputed to us, were not as 
fiery and terrible as men would have it, they rush into 
actual sins, and bring more wrath upon themselves by 
great wickedness and unrighteousness, by many acts 
of impiety and malice. They devise mischief upon 
their beds ; they love vain thoughts ; they rebel against 
God ; break every precept of his law, and vex his Holy 
Spirit. In thought, word, and deed they are trans- 



ACTUAL SINS. 83 

gressors. They arc as an unclean thing. Their con- 
sciences are defiled. Their wills are perverse. They 
have all done, and are all doing that which was for- 
bidden. They have all failed and are daily failing to 
do what was commanded. The law, which they break, 
is holy, just and good. It is the only perfect law ever 
enacted. No sentence could be more just than this, 
''the soul that sinneth it shall die." Punishment is 
deserved by all transgressors. If there were no pro- 
hibitions to sin, men could not seem more eager after 
iniquity than at present. Not only so, the very pro- 
hibition provokes a longing for disobedience. " Sin, 
taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me 
all manner of concupiscence." Rom. vii. 8. Thus ''the 
whole world liethin wickedness." Its guilt would in- 
stantly sink it to hell but for the patience and long- 
suffering of God. If the precept of the law is holy, 
just, and good, so is the penalty. God is the author 
of both. The human conscience whenever enlightened 
and aroused, pronounces damnation just. Psa. li. 4. 
The boldest sinners in the world will be speechless in 
the day of judgment. Guilt is a dreadful chain. It 
holds all its prisoners bound in afiliction and iron. No 
man can give to God a ransom for himself, or for his 
brother; for "the redemption of the soul is precious," 
costly, infinitely costly. In the awards of the last 
day every conscience will acquiesce, and all cavilling 
at God's sovereign disposal of men will be for ever 
silenced. The sentence of exclusion from the pre- 
sence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, will 
be most righteous. Nothing could be more holy, more 
deserved. All heaven, all earth, all hell will see and 
feel how just it is. man of the world, can thy hands 



84 MEN ARE GUILTY. 

be strong, or thy heart endure, when God shall call 
thee to account ? " What wilt thou say when he shall 
punish thee ?'* Well did Augustine say, " Woe to the 
life of man, be it never so commendable, if thou exa- 
mine it, setting mercy aside.'' 



CHAPTER XI. 

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS IS WORTHLESS. — MAN NEEDS A 
SAVIOUR. 

Our own merits are of no avail for salvation. Man 
never deserves the favourable regard of God. The 
more self-righteous any one is, the worse it is for him. 
He, who is found with a little counterfeit money on 
him, may be suspected, but he, who knowingly carries 
much of it, may be convicted. Self-righteousness is 
spurious coin. Whoever relies on his own goodness 
for salvation will surely perish. He puts darkness for 
light and bitter for sweet. He turns judgment into 
wormwood and righteousness into hemlock. Self- 
righteousness is a condemnation of God's law and an 
impeachment of his justice. There are but two ways 
in which man ever had solid peace. The first is by 
having a heart and life free from sin. When Adam 
was holy, his peace was unbroken. But we have all 
sinned, and this door is for ever closed against our race. 
Of all that have been born of woman, but one entered 
heaven by his own merits. That one was Jesus, the 
Son of God. The other way for us to have peace 
is to flee to Christ who is our peace, and hath made 
peace for all that believe on him. Those who receive 
him shall never come into condemnation. Their peace 
shall be like a river, wKich widens and deepens the 
8 (85) 



86 SELF-IHGHTEOUSNESS IS WORTHLESS. 

farther it flows. The way, in which some secure a 
false peace and destroy themselveSj is to shut their 
eyes on their offenceSj sear their own consciences, and 
persuade themselves that they are not verily and fear- 
fully guilty, and have not grievously sinned against God. 
They spend their days in framing excuses, perhaps 
vindications of a life of rebellion and sin ; or they 
boldly deny their guilt in every particular, as did the 
Jews in the days of Malachi, and of our Saviour. Self- 
righteousness seems to be born with sin, and to grow with 
its growth. A disposition to deny criminality is uni- 
versal among men. Nothing but divine grace can 
efifectually cure the habit of self-justification. One hon- 
est confession is a better sign of amendment, and pro- 
mises more good than all excuses and denials. Indeed 
no saving mercy can come to him who will not confess 
his sins. The reason is that to him, who thinks he has 
no malady, all medicine is offensive. " The whole need 
not a physician." He who thinks he knows will not 
inquire. He, who says he sees, will not ask for a light. 
How can he wish to be better, who is already in his 
own esteem good enough ? How can he who believes 
he has done no wrong, ask for pardon? Forgiveness 
to the innocent is impossible. To absolve the guiltless 
is an absurdity. The very offer of mercy to the sinless 
is an indignity. 

Nothing in human nature seems to be more obstinate, 
or more difficult to eradicate than a self-righteous spirit. 
Without the grace of Christ going before, no man ever 
sought or desired a new heart, or a gracious pardon. 
Left to themselves, men will live in sin, die in sin, and 
lie down in eternal sorrow, rather than renounce their 
own goodness and abandon their self-righteous hopes. 



MAN NEEDS A SAVIOUR. 87 

It tends greatly to strengthen these delusions when 
men can plead natural amiability of temper, or a fair 
standing with the world for truth, justice and honour, 
or a decent and serious attention to the ordinances of 
religion. Christ said to the most exact observers of the 
Mosaic ritual, ''the publicans and harlots go into the 
kingdom of God before you.'' " There are many who 
think they are safe, so long as they can find others 
worse than themselves. As if the fox should thank 
God that he is not a bear ; or the wolf that he is not 
a lion ; or the swine that he is not a wolf; whereas all 
this is nothing to the purpose, because God hath called 
his children to be sheep, neither shall any species of 
unclean beasts be tolerated in the Christian society, 
imless they become sensible of their disposition, and 
put it oflF as fast as they can by repentance and con- 
version.'' All observation goes to show that there is 
not among men a more hopeless class of offenders than 
those who trust in themselves that they are righteous 
and despise others. " All our righteousnesses are as 
filthy rags." "If I wash myself in snow-water, and 
make my hands never so clean, yet shalt thou plunge 
me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall abhor me. 
For he is not a man as I am, that I should answer him, 
and we should come together in judgment." Job ix. 
30 — 32. " If thou. Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, 
Lord, who shall stand?" Psa. cxxx. 3. See also Job 
iv. 17 — 20, and xv. 15, 16, and ix. 2, 3. How wisely 
did David plead, " Enter not into judgment with thy 
servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justi- 
fied." Psa. cxliii. 2. It is the part of wisdom for every 
mortal to say, " If I justify myself, mine own mouth 
shall condemn me ; if I say, I am perfect, it shall also 



88 SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS IS WORTHLESS. 

prove me perverse." Job ix. 20. Let us confess, " all 
"we like sheep have gone astray ; we have turned every 
one to his own way/' Peter (1 Pet. v. 5,) has fore- 
warned us that " God resisteth the proud, and giveth 
grace to the humble.'' Here is the secret of the differ- 
ence of the treatment received by the pharisee and 
the publican, the one with unhumbled heart pleading 
his own goodness, the other crying ^' God be merciful 
to me a sinner." Indeed it is the unvarying law of 
God's government that " whosoever shall exalt himself 
shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall 
be exalted." " Christ came not to call the right- 
eous," he came to call "sinners to repentance." All 
this is well summed up in the Heidelberg Catechism. 
" 62. But why cannot our good works be the whole or 
part of our righteousness before God ? 

Because that the righteousness which can be ap- 
proved of before the tribunal of God, must be abso- 
lutely perfect, and in all respects conformable to tho 
divine law ; and also, that our best works in this life, 
are all imperfect and defiled with sin. 

63. What ! do our good works merit nothing, which 
yet God will reward in this and a future life ? 

This reward is not of merit, but of grace. 

64. But doth not this doctrine make men careless 
and profane ? 

By no means ; for it is impossible that those who 
are implanted into Christ by a true faith, should not 
bring forth the fruits of thankfulness." 

The effect of all God's saving dealings with men's souls, 
is ultimately to bring them to remember their ways, and 
all their doings wherein they have been defiled ; and 
to loathe themselves in their own sight for all their 



MAN NEEDS A SAVIOUR. 89 

evils that they have committed, and to know that God 
is the Lord, when he has wrought with them for his 
name's sake, and not according to their wicked ways, 
nor according to their corrupt doings. Ezek. xx. 
43, 44. 

From all that has been said it follows that man needs 
the grace of Christ. Where evil exists a remedy is 
called for. He, who is sick, needs a physician. It 
would be better for the blind, if their eyes were opened ; 
for the deaf, if their ears were unstopped; for the 
halt, if their lameness were taken away. The unclean 
need washing ; the condemned, pardon. Those who are 
not holy should be renewed. To the diseased even 
painful remedies are a kindness. The perishing need 
mercy, the guilty need grace. The lost should be 
sought and found. The starving require bread ; the 
thirsty, water ; the wounded, oil and wine ; the cold 
and naked, raiment and shelter. The truth is, we are 
dead in trespasses and sins, yea, twice dead. How 
strong this language, and yet how just ! If any man 
fight against it, his quarrel is with God, not with those, 
who by divine command preach the doctrine. The 
Bible is a sober book. It never mocks us. It never 
trifles with any man's feelings. It gives no idle 
alarms. It scatters all needless fears, and cuts up 
superstition by the roots ; yet it says, we are dead, 
twice dead, dead by nature ; dead by actual transgres- 
sion; dead by the law; dead by a Avilful, ungrateful, 
unbelieving rejection of Christ. What a death ! Men 
are dead, like a very dry tree, which is ready to be 
plucked up by the roots. If a spark touches it, it is 
soon all in a blaze. There is in unconverted men, no 
spiritual life, no warmth of affection, towards God and 
8* 



90 SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS IS WORTHLESS. 

holiness. They have no good hope through grace. 
The life and love of God are not in them. Separated 
from God, they cannot live. For as the branch severed 
from the vine, or the arm from the trunk, or the body 
from the soul is dead, being alone, so the spirit of man 
without God is dead also. Surely man in this state 
needs a Saviour. Never were necessities so extreme. If 
God intended to do something, " which angels would 
desire to look into," what would more surely gain his 
end, than to provide a Saviour for lost men ? It is no 
insult to oifer grace to such rebels as we are. A little 
humility, faith and love, would make us all adopt as our 
creed the words of Peter : " We believe that through 
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved 
even as they." At least we should say, that we never can 
be saved otherwise, and should greatly desire to be saved 
in this blessed way. If not thus saved we are for ever 
undone. Our true wisdom is to cry, " We do not pre- 
sent our supplications before thee for our righteousness, 
but for thy great mercies." Dan. ix. 18. This brings 
us naturally to the consideration of the amazing grace, 
actually shown to men in their salvation by Jesus 
Christ. 



CHAPTER XII, 



THE TRUE NOTION OF GRACE. 

The Synod of Dort says that " God oweth no man 
grace. For how can God become debtor to him, who 
hath nothing to give first, that it might be recompensed 
to him again ? Nay, v/hat can God owe him, who 
hath nought of his own but sin and untruth ? Whoso- 
ever therefore is made partaker of this kind of grace, 
ever oweth and ever payeth thanks to God only.'' The 
term, grace^ often occurs in Scripture. Sometimes it 
means beauty, as in Pro v. i. 9 and iv. 9. But this is 
never the meaning of the word in the New Testament. 
There the generic idea of the term is favour, unmerited 
kindness, undeserved love, unbought pity, gift, mere 
gratuity. This grace is variously manifested. The 
gospel is itself called grace because it is the fruit and 
evidence of God's unmerited goodness. The privilege 
of preaching the gospel is for the same reason called 
grace And indeed it is a great favour to be allowed to 
publish the glad tidings of great joy. No man deserves 
such honour. Pardon of sin and acceptance with God 
are both often said to be by grace, by mercy undeserved. 
The work of purifying the hearts of his people and 
fitting them for glory is effected by the grace of God. 
God does it purely out of pity and love, and not at all 
out of regard to any merit of ours. Renewal and 
sanctification are rich fruits of mercy. Without God's 

(91) 



92 TUUE NOTION OF GHACE. 

grace salvation is absolutely impossible. A salvation, 
Avhich failed to root out sin, and set up the reign of 
grace, would no doubt be pleasing to the carnal mind, 
and would delight a hypocrite ; but could never satisfy 
the longings of a real child of God. Sin in its reign- 
ing power, no less than in its fearful guilt, must be 
destroyed, or it will destroy us. He, who fails to gain 
the victory over his lusts, fails of heaven. If they be 
not put down, we labour in vain and spend our strength 
for nought. 

Hardly anything is more striking than the obstinate 
attachment of men to their own works, and their con- 
sequent aversion to the grace of God. The great mass 
of unrenewed men, even in Christian assemblies, have 
really no idea of ever being saved otherwise than by 
becoming good^ and that in their own strength. They 
generally suspect that they are not now what they 
ought to be, but they intend to do better hereafter. 
They seem very ignorant of the extent, spirituality 
and holiness of the law ; and thus while conscience 
does not flame out against them, they rest in the delu- 
sion that they are not very bad, and may easily improve. 
The very last thing which a sinner under conviction 
does, is to give up his self-confidence. He cleaves to 
it as if salvation depended upon his good opinion of 
himself. Indeed till God's Spirit enlightens his mind, 
he will not see that salvation can never be compassed 
by his own power or merit. So that the very process, 
by which a sinner is led to the Saviour, is usually one 
of extreme sadness. He has less and less, in his own 
esteem, worthy of honourable mention before God, 
until at last he finds out that he is nothing but a guilty, 
vile, lost, helpless, perishing sinner. To a Christian, 



TRUE NOTION OF GRACE. 93 

who knows what is going on in the sinner's mind, these 
new views awaken lively hopes that a work of grace is 
begun in his heart. But often the sinner himself is 
almost in despair. He supposes that his convictions 
are forerunners of condemnation and rejection, not of 
conversion. And when he is led to Christ, and hope 
springs up in his mind, none is more surprised at the 
change in his views than himself. He did not expect 
deliverance in that way. He had not yet become good 
in his own eyes. He now learns that it is God's plan to 
save sinners who simply believe. To him the Gospel is 
a revelation of mercy. Pie is charmed with the method 
of grace. He gives all honour to the Redeemer, and 
is willing to be counted the chief of sinners. He no 
longer goes about to establish his own righteousness, 
which is of the law. His own merits he counts as 
nothing. He simply wishes to be found in Christ. 
His song is of free unmerited grace. He is no longer 
wedded to the law, as a means of justification, but he 
is married to Christ, who is now all his salvation. He 
works, indeed, but it is from love to the Saviour. He 
says, "What I am, I am by the grace of God.'' He 
casts his crown at the Saviour's feet. He expects all 
from the grace of Christ. A clergyman once repre- 
sented the conduct of awakened sinners towards God's 
offers of gratuitous salvation thus : A benevolent and 
rich man had a very poor neighbour, to whom he sent 
this message ; " I wish to make you the gift of a farm." 
The poor man was pleased with the idea of having a 
farm, but was too proud at once to receive it as a gift. 
So he thought of the matter much and anxiously. His 
desire to have a home of his own was daily growing 
stronger, but his pride was great. At length he de- 



94 TRUE NOTION OF GKACE. 

termined to visit him who had made the offer. But a 
strange delusion about this time seized him, for he 
imagined that he had a bag of gold. So he came with 
his bag, and said to the rich man, ^'I have received 
your message, and have come to see you. I wish to 
own the farm, but I wish to pay for it. I will give 
you a bag of gold for it." ''Let us see your gold," 
said the owner of the farm. The poor man opened his 
bag and looked, and his countenance was changed, and 
he said, " Sir, I thought it was gold, but I am sorry to 
say it is but silver ; I will give you my bag of silver 
for your farm." "Look again; I do not think it is 
even silver," was the solemn but kind reply. The poor 
man looked, and as he beheld, his eyes were further 
opened, and he said, " How I have been deceived. It 
is not silver but only copper. Will you sell me your 
farm for my bag of copper? You may have it all." 
" Look again," was the only reply. The poor man 
looked, tears stood in his eyes, his delusion seemed to 
be gone, and he said, " Alas, I am undone. It is not 
even copper. It is but ashes. How poor I am ! I wish 
to own that farm, but I have nothing to pay. Will 
you give me the farm?" The rich man replied, " Yes, 
that was my first and only offer. Will you accept it 
on such terms ?" With humility but with eagerness 
the poor man said, " Yes, and a thousand blessings on 
you for your kindness." The fable is easily applied. 
Mather has well expressed the difference between grace 
and merit in few words ; " God was a God to Adam 
before he fell, but to be a God to sinners, this is grace. 
He was a God to Adam in innocency by virtue of the 
covenant of works ; but he is not a God to any sinner 
but in the way of free grace. Now that was the cove- 



TRUE NOTION OF GRACE. 95 

nant, ' I will be a God to thee and thy seed.' Gen. 
xvii. 7. Abraham was a sinner and a child of wrath 
by nature as well as others ; yet God was his God 
truly. For God to be a God to them that never sin- 
ned there may be merit ; but for God to be a God to 
those that have sinned this is grace indeed. They, 
that do not think this is grace, need not argument, but 
pity and prayer.'^ 

The pious John Newton in few words states with 
great clearness what grace is : " To bestow gifts upon 
the miserable, is bounty; but to bestow them upon 
rebels is grace. The greatness of the gifts contrasted 
with the characters of those who receive them, displays 
the exceeding riches of the Redeemer's grace. He 
came to save not the unhappy only, but the ungodly. 
He gives pardon, peace, and eternal life to his ene- 
mies ; whose minds are so entirely alienated from him 
that, until he makes them willing, in the day of his 
power, their minds are determined against accepting 
any favour from him.' 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE PROPERTIES OF GRACE. — IT IS FREE, SUFFICIENT, 
UNSELFISH, RICH IN BLESSINGS. 

In many things the grace of God differs from all 
other manifestations of favour. We should not be sur- 
prised at this when we reflect that as the heavens are 
higher than the earth, so are his ways higher than our 
ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts. There is 
none like Jehovah in love, or in majesty, in glory or 
in condescension. Beyond everything else called grace 
it is free. It is beyond the power of man to earn it, 
to deserve it, to purchase it. No price is to be paid 
for it. To offer anything as an equivalent for it is to 
insult God. '' Without money and without price'' is 
the sole method of its bestowment. This grace is ab- 
solutely, everlastingly, immutably free. If you ever 
secure it, it will not be by paying for it thousands of 
rivers of oil, the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth 
of the world. 

] This grace is, moreover, all-sufficient. It alone does 
all. He, who has it is rich beyond the power of want, 
is strong beyond the possibility of being finally van- 
quished, is justified so that he can never come into con- 
demnation. It meets every demand of justice, every 
temptation, every emergency. ^' My grace is sufficient 
for thee," are words as sweet as ever reached the ears 
of mortals. 

(96) 



THE PROPERTIES OF GRACE. 97 

Another property of divine grace is that it is disin- 
terested and unselfish. It is pure grace. The happi- 
ness of the King of kings is not augmented by having 
kings and priests to bow before him. God is, and 
was, and shall be blessed for evermore. God's al- 
mightiness excludes all want by excluding all weak- 
ness. If God could fail in anything, he might cease 
to be blessed and so cease to be God. When there 
w^as as yet no created spirit, and the Spirit increate 
and eternal existed in solitary grandeur in the uni- 
verse, that Infinite and Eternal Mind was as happy as 
it is now, or ever shall be. To the divine blessedness 
there is no limit, there comes no change. Like his 
wisdom, power, holiness and truth, his happiness can- 
not vary.. Neither creation nor redemption was un- 
dertaken to heighten the bliss of the Godhead. The 
Bible teaches that if men were even spotlessly holy, 
they would still be unprofitable servants. '' If thou 
sinnest, what doest thou against him ? or if thy trans- 
gressions be multiplied, what doest thou against him ? 
If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what 
receiveth he of thine hand ? Thy wickedness may hurt 
a man as thou art ; and thy righteousness may profit 
the son of man. * * Can a man be profitable unto God 
as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?" 
Job XXXV. 6 — 8 and xxii. 2. God does indeed order 
all things for his own honour and glory ; but that is 
not for the increase of his infinite blessedness. Pure 
grace and unbought love have done all for sinners. 
There is no mixture of God's grace and man's good- 
ness in salvation. God owed nothing, could owe no- 
thing to apostate man. It is a shameful and wicked 
derogation from the grace of the Gospel to assert that 
9 



98 THE PROPERTIES OE GRACE. 

God intended thereby to make amends to our race for 
the defects of the covenant of works. That covenant 
was wise, holy, just and good. Under it the angels 
enjoy all their bliss. As long as man kept it, he was 
unspeakably happy. And when he fell under the 
curse of that covenant, he did it not by any inevitable 
necessity of nature, but by his own voluntary choice 
of that which had been forbidden. Nowhere in the 
Bible is it hinted that God promulged the covenant of 
grace as something due to us. On the contrary it 
traces all to divine bountifulness and mercifulness. It 
speaks on this wise : ^' God, who is rich in miercy, for 
his great love wherewith he hath loved us, even when 
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with 
Christ (by grace are ye saved), and hath raised us up 
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places 
in Christ Jesus : that in the ages to come he might 
show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness 
toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye 
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves ; it is 
the gift of God ; not of works, lest any man should 
boast." Eph. ii. 4 — 9. Many other portions of Scrip- 
ture teach the same truth, but this one is so full and 
explicit that nothing but perversity and blindness can 
misconstrue its precious doctrine. The peculiar sweet- 
ness and excellence of this view of the subject is, first, 
that it renders illustrious beyond a parallel the mercy 
of God in Christ, and thus lays a sure foundation for 
the temple of praise which is now rising to the sove- 
reign love of God. Secondly, this view brings strong 
consolation to the righteous, because if God had gra- 
cious regards towards them when they had no holiness 
nor good desires, they may assuredly hope that having 



THE PROPERTIES OF GRACE. 99 

freely given them new hearts, and having also freely 
justified them, he will not abandon them to ruin, nor 
hand them over to condemnation. Nor is this grace 
in its bestowments lunited to a few small items. It 
would have been unmerited kindness for eternal mercy 
to have expressed any pity for man. It would have 
been more than man deserved for God to have given 
him a respite of a thousand years from the fiery doom, 
which was before him. It is mere mercy that keeps a 
sinner out of hell even for an hour. But when God 
undertook to be gracious, he confined himself to no 
little work, but devised a plan incomprehensibly great 
and glorious, running through all coming time, and 
the eternity beyond that, and embracing in its effects 
in some way myriads on myriads of happy creatures, 
who study it, admire it, or taste its abundant provi- 
sions. So that on this side of heaven there is no 
higher exercise of virtue than simply to believe and 
cordially to rely upon the statements of God's word 
respecting this greatest of all devices. The first result 
attained by the works of grace in our world is the 
securing of an unparalleled revenue of renown to the 
divine government. Criory to Crod in the highest is an 
effect peculiar to the work of redemption. To men 
the results are as happy as to God they are honourable. 
The fruits of God's grace are so many, and so rich, and 
so necessary, that we may safely say, without them ex- 
istence is not desirable ; but with them life is a great 
boon and blessing, though it should be begun by ten 
thousand years of such affliction as the saints on earth 
are subject to. God's plan of mercy in Christ secures 
us against all conceivable ills, except such as shall 
themselves be made the means of ultimate and eternal 



100 THE PROPEllTIES OF GRACE. 

gain to US. It also secures the possession of all con- 
ceivable good things for this world and the next, and 
at the best possible time. The tenor of Scripture on 
these points is unmistakable : ^'All things are yours ; 
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or 
life, or death, or things present, or things to come ; all 
are yours ; and ye are Christ's ; and Christ is God's." 
1 Cor. iii. 21 — 23. Even inspired men seem at a loss 
for words to convey an adequate conception of any of 
God's saving mercies. In his gospel John says, " God 
so loved the world;" and in his first epistle he says, 
^' Behold ! what manner of love." Paul breaks out, 
'' Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." With 
our Lord and his apostles crowns and kingdoms are 
favourite emblems of the riches of our inheritance in 
Christ. Nor does God ever revoke any promise made 
to man in Christ Jesus. '^ The Lord is not man that 
he should repent." He never begins to build and finds 
himself unable to finish. Nor has he affixed to the 
gospel offer any meritorious condition to be performed 
by us. Jesus Christ fulfilled the entire conditions of 
the covenant of grace, so far as satisfying the law and 
bringing in righteousness are concerned. The fourth 
property of this grace, then, is that it is exceedingly 
fruitful in the most precious and most permanent 
blessings. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



GOD S GRACE IS ALSO OF GREAT ANTIQUITY, SOVEREIGN 
AND DISTINGUISHING. 

Another property of God's grace is that it bears 
date from the most remote antiquity, even the past 
eternity of Jehovah. It is not therefore of recent 
origin, as all human and even angelic friendships are. 
The plan of showing grace to lost sinners existed be- 
fore men were lost. It is as old as the plan of the 
universe. On this subject the language of inspiration 
is decisive. Paul says to the Ephesians, "Blessed be 
the God ' and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly 
places in Christ : according as he hath chosen us in 
him before the foundation of the world, that we should 
be holy and without blame before him in love ; having 
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus 
Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of 
his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, who 
hath made us accepted in the Beloved." David says: 
" The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to ever- 
lasting upon them that fear him." Psa. ciii. 17. In 
Ephesians iii. 11, it is said, we are saved according to 
an ''eternal purpose." The mercies of time are the 
fruits of the love of eternity. In Jeremiah (xxxi. 3,) 
the whole work of salvation is ascribed to a divine 
9* (101) 



102 ANTIQUITY OF GOD'S GRACE. 

regard as eternal as the Godhead. ^'I have loved 
thee with an everlasting love ; therefore with loving 
kindness have I drawn thee." How precious is the 
truth that in the counsels of inconceivably distant ages 
man was not forgotten ; but even then Jehovah by his 
prescience looked upon him in his guilt and vileness 
and misery, and purposed to raise from the deep and 
dark abyss of the apostacy a people who should be his 
church, a people who should ever stand " to the praise 
of the glory of his grace." Some indeed say that this 
doctrine encourages sin. But the Bible teaches a very 
different doctrine. " We love him because he first 
loved us." "Ye have not chosen me, but I have 
chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and 
bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." 
Some say that this view represents God as loving the 
vile and base and guilty. The answer is that the 
Scriptures clearly teach as much. " God so loved the 
world" (guilty, lost and ruined as it was,) "that he 
gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth 
on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
Indeed they say that this view is not only just and 
true, but honourable to God. In Romans (v. 8,) Paul 
says that " God commendeth his love towards us in 
that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." 
Here is one of the brightest glories of the covenant of 
grace. The stability of the whole plan of redemption 
is in Scripture said to depend on this great fact : " If 
while we were enemies we were reconciled by the death 
of his Son ; much more, being reconciled, we shall be 
saved by his life." Rom. v. 10. God's good will to 
man, his pity for the lost, his grace to sinners are not 



ANTIQUITY OF GOD'S GRACE. 103 

novelties to the divine mind. They have run parallel 
with the divine existence in all past duration. 

In contemplating this grace the devout mind finds 
itself filled with awe and delight at discovering that 
God's grace is sovereign and distinguishing. Thus our 
Saviour thought and felt when he said, '' I thank thee, 
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast 
hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast 
revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so 
it seemed good in thy sight.'' Matt. xi. 25, 26. In 
this solemn, holy and thankful manner did our blessed 
Master view this doctrine. Let us imitate him. Let 
us not rush into doubtful disputations. Let us adore 
and not cavil. Reason is presumptuous when it re- 
vises the decisions of God. Our blessed Lord often 
insisted on this doctrine, although then as now it was 
very ofi*ensive to the carnal mind. In Luke iv. 25 — 29 
we have this record: ^^I tell you of a truth, many 
widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the 
heaven w^as shut up three years and six months, when 
great famine was throughout all the land ; but unto 
none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city 
of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many 
lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet ; 
and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the 
Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they 
heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, 
and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the 
brow of the hill (whereon their city was built) that 
they might cast him down headlong." What shall we 
then do ? If the doctrine so offends men, shall we 
give it up ? Are we to make peace with human wick- 
edness by observing a profound silence on this topic ? 



104 god's grace is sovereign 

Nay, let us rather imitate Christ, who often preached 
it. The parable of the hired labourers found in Matt. 
XX. 1 — 16 is spoken for the express purpose of showing 
that God will do as he pleases with his own, and that 
for so doing, he may not be complained of. Indeed 
by Moses God said, " I will have mercy on whom I 
will have mercy, and I will have compassion, on whom 
I will have compassion ; so then, it is not of him that 
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that show- 
eth mercy." As God is abundant in goodness and 
truth, we see ground of hope and confidence. As he 
is sovereign in the bestowment of his favours, let us 
fear before him and adore. He, who will not be 
pleased with the divine character and government 
until he can see God waiting on the nod and promptly 
obeying the mandates of the human will, can never be 
reconciled to God. " The Lord is a great king and a 
great God above all gods.'* '' The Lord is king for 
ever and ever.'' " The Lord reigneth, let the earth 
rejoice." " The Lord reigneth, let the people trem- 
ble." Jesus Christ not only taught this doctrine, but 
as the Son of God with power he displayed its truth 
in calling to himself whom he would for his disciples 
and apostles, in saving one thief and not the other, in 
bringing Peter to repentance, and in sending Judas to 
his own place, in calling and saving Saul of Tarsus 
and letting Nero persist in sin. 

The sovereignty of grace is shown principally in 
three ways ; in the race to which mercy is extended, 
viz : the human and not the angelic. The heavenly 
host, who fell, were passed by and left in utter and 
irretrievable ruin and hopeless sorrow. Compare Jude 
vi. and John iii. 16. Why this was so we cannot tell. 



AND DISTINGUISHINa. 105 

The loadstone passes by gold and silver and attracts 
iron. The grace of God passed by angels and came 
" a little lower," even to man. God also makes known 
his Gospel and sends his ambassadors to some nations 
and not to others. Thus at first Judea was distin- 
guished from India. Thus now America and Britain 
are distinguished from Tartary and Japan. And in 
the same nation, city and family one person is taken 
and another left, one is pardoned, converted, sanctified 
and receive'd up to glory, while another no worse by 
nature, dies in his sins. This sovereignty is exercised 
solely " according to the good pleasure of his will,'' 
and not at all on account of any goodness belonging 
to us, or foreseen in us. Very explicitly and conclu- 
sively does Paul prove this : " For the children being 
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, 
that the purpose of God according to election might 
stand, not of works, but of him that calleth ; it was 
said unto her. The elder shall serve the younger. As 
it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I 
hated. What shall we say then ? Is there unright- 
eousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to 
Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, 
and I will have compassion on whom I will have com- 
passion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of 
him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. 
For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this 
same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show 
my power in thee, and that my name might be de- 
clared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he 
mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will 
he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why 
doth he yet find fault ? For who hath resisted his 



106 god's grace is sovereign 

will? Nay but, man, who art thou that repliest 
against God ? Shall the thing formed say to him that 
formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ? Hath not 
the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to 
make one vessel unto honour, and another unto disho- 
nour ? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and 
to make his power known, endured with much long- 
suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction : 
and that he might make known the riches of his glory 
on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared 
unto glory" — Is not such teaching conclusive ? Who 
can resist it, without refusing to believe God ? In re- 
buking some, who persisted in asserting that God dis- 
penses his grace among men, according to his fore- 
knowledge of the good use which they Avill severally 
make of it, Augustine says: ^^ Who but must wonder 
that this most ingenious sense should escape the 
Apostle ? For after proposing what was suited to ex- 
cite astonishment respecting those children yet unborn^ 
he started to himself by way of objection, the follow- 
ing question. What then, is there unrighteousness 
with God ? It was the place for him to answer, that 
God foresaw the deserts of each of them, yet he soys 
nothing of this, but resorts to the decrees and mercy 
of God." 

Indeed on the day of Pentecost the whole weight of 
Peter's argument in convincing his hearers of their sin 
was in connection with this doctrine. Speaking of 
Christ, Peter said : " Him being delivered by the de- 
terminate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have 
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." 
Acts ii. 23. Now, if he had failed to convince them 
that in putting Christ to death they had fulfilled the 



AND DISTINGUISHING. 107 

eternal purpose, the determinate counsel of God, lie 
would have failed to convince them of Christ's Mes- 
siahship. Or if he had failed to convince them that 
in doing this of envy and unbelief and enmity they 
were wicked, then his preaching would have been in 
vain. There is no escaping from these conclusions. 
To fulfil God's decrees with a wicked heart is wicked, 
is the height of wickedness. 

That the doctrine of election is a ground of encour- 
agement to pious preachers of the Gospel is certain. 
Thousands have told us so. It was so to Paul. ''Then 
spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be 
not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace : for I 
am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt 
thee: for i have much people in this city." Acts 
xviii. 9, 10. The previous context shows that the 
Jews at Corinth "opposed themselves and blasphemed." 
In fact the work of founding a church there was but 
just begun. Yet God says, " I have much people in 
this city." No man will say that God merely de- 
signed to inform Paul that Corinth was populous. He 
knew this already. The only fair logical meaning is 
that among the crowds of the ungodly in that city, 
were many of God's elect, whom he purposed by Paul's 
ministry soon to bring to a saving knowledge of Christ. 
The doctrine of election, rightly understood^ holds out 
the only ground of encouragement, which we have, for 
preaching the blessed Gospel. If God has no elect, 
we preach in vain. 



CHAPTER XV. 



GOD S PURPOSE OF GRACE. 



"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and 
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, 
for instruction in righteousness/' If this be so we 
should very carefully guard our hearts that we indulge 
in no prejudices against any portion of divine truth. 
If God has revealed anything to us, it will do us good 
to receive it with meekness and fear. 
f It is not possible for any candid person to deny that 
the Bible uses words, which seem to teach that God 
governs the world by a fixed plan, and that events oc- 
curring in a manner to us accidental, or brought about 
by human agency were foreseen and pre-ordained by 
God. Without dealing in general assertions, let us 
come at once to God's word. There we find fii^st the 
word decree applied to God's plan. The reason why 
the sea is contained within certain limits is that God 
has determined it shall be so. " He gave the sea his 
decree, that the waters should not pass his command- 
ment." Prov. viii. 29. He has "placed the sand for 
the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree." Jer. v. 22. 
Elsewhere the same thing is taught in almost the same 
words. It cannot therefore be denied that God holds 
the sea in bounds by his unchangeable decree. The 
Scriptures also declare that it is the fixed decree of 
God, which nothing can alter, that his Son should be 

(108) 



god's purpose of grace. 109 

the Mediator. '^ Yet have I set my King upon my 
holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree : The 
Lord hath said unto me. Thou art my Son, this day 
have I begotten thee." None will deny that the me- 
diatorial throne has its stability in the everlasting un- 
changeable purpose of Grod. So likewise Daniel de- 
clares that Nebuchadnezzar was expelled from among 
men " by the decree of the Most High.'' Dan. iv. 24. 
The Scriptures also use the word appoint as ex- 
pressive of the same idea. Thus Christ says: "I 
appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath ap- 
pointed unto me." Luke xxii. 29. Men must have 
made great advances in boldness before they can deny 
that all Christ's exaltation and glory are fixed and 
given him by the unchangeable appointment of God, 
and yet by an appointment of the same kind all his 
people shall have a kingdom. So also the day of 
judgment is fixed. Nothing can hasten it ; nothing 
can defer it : ^' He hath appointed a day, in the which 
he will judge the world." Acts xvii. 81. So also no 
man can die a moment sooner, or live a moment longer 
than God pleases, and his pleasure and his counsel 
always agree. '' Is there not an appointed time to 
man upon earth?" " Seeing his days are determined, 
the number of his months is with thee, thou hast ap- 
pointed his bounds that he cannot pass." Job vii. 1 
and xiv. 5. Nor is this doctrine offensive to the pious. 
Job says : ^^All the days of my appointed time will I 
wait, till my change come." Job xiv. 14. The subver- 
sion of the plots of the wicked is in Scripture ascribed 
to their running counter to God's fixed plan. "For 
the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of 
Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring 
10 



110 gob's purpose of grace. 

evil upon Absalom.'' 2 Sam. xvii. 14. God's word no 
less clearly declares that the wicked rejection of Jesu3 
Christ by sinners, instead of defeating, is executing 
God's plan. For he is " a stone of stumbling, and a 
rock of oiBfence, even to them, which stumble at the 
word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were 
appointed." 1 Pet. ii. 8. 

Again : the Scriptures call God's fixed plan his 
counsel and declare its unchangeableness. If it could 
be changed, it would be either for the better, or for 
the worse. If it could be changed for the better, it is 
now imperfect. If it should be changed for the worse 
it would become imperfect. In either case, it would 
be unworthy of God. But it cannot be changed : '' I 
am God and there is none like me, declaring the end 
from the beginning, and from ancient times the things 
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, 
and I will do all my pleasure." Isa. xlvi. 9, 10. "The 
counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of 
his heart to all generations." Psa. xxxiii. 11. No 
plotting and ingenuity and malice of man can hinder 
what God will do. " There are many devices in a 
man's heart ; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, 
that shall stand." Prov. xix. 21. The Apostles held 
that God's plan was carried out, even in the wicked- 
ness shown towards Christ, and they adoringly said 
that his enemies " were gathered together for to do 
whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined be- 
fore to be done." Acts iv. 28. Indeed Paul says that 
God does " all things after the counsel of his own will." 
Eph. i. 11. He also says that God has taken great 
care " to show unto the heirs of promise the immuta- 
bility of his counsel." Heb. vi. 17. 



god's purpose or grace. Ill 

In like manner the Bible speaks of God's purpose ; 
and says that our conversion is in fulfilment of it — 
'' called according to his purpose." It declares that 
this purpose embraces the destinies of men. Before 
Ilebecca had given birth to any child it was said, 
" The elder shall serve the younger/' and all this Paul 
says was, " that the purpose of God according to elec- 
tion might stand." Rom. viii. 28 and ix. 11. Nor is 
God's purpose temporal, or mutable, but he conducts 
all things ''according to the eternal purpose which he 
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Eph. iii, 11. 
Here is the foundation of all our hopes of life ; for he 
'' hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not 
according to our works, but according to his own pur- 
pose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus 
before the world began." 2 Tim. i. 9. 

Nor are inspired writers afraid of the word, predes- 
tination, or of the doctrine taught thereby : " Whom 
he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be con- 
formed to the image of his Son, that he might be the 
first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he 
did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom he 
called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified, 
them he also glorified." Rom. viii. 29, 30. " Having 
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus 
Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of 
his will." Eph. i. 5. See also verses 11 and 12. 

We also find election taught throughout God's word 
and in many ways. 1. God's well-beloved and eternal 
Son was chosen out of all in the universe to be the Re- 
deemer of lost men. Accordingly in Isaiah xlii. 1, and 
in 1 Pet. ii. 6, Christ is called God's elect. I have 
never seen the professing Christian, who was bold 



112 god's purpose of grace. 

enough to deny that our Saviour was " chosen of God." 
Augustine well says : " The highest illustration of pre- 
destination and grace, is in the Saviour himself, the 
man Christ Jesus, who has acquired this character in 
his human nature, without any previous merit either 
of works or of faith." 2. Election extends to the an- 
gels, some of whom are holy and happy, others sinful 
and miserable. The holy ones are expressly called 
*' elect angels.'^ 1 Tim. v. 21. 3. When some angels 
and all men had fallen under condemnation, God's 
electing love turned towards sinners of the human race 
and not at all towards fallen angels. John iii. 16 ; 
2 Pet. ii. 4. 4. When all nations were rapidly hasten- 
ing to idolatry and gross corruption, God selected one 
man and granted to him and his descendants peculiar 
privileges and mercies. " He did choose Abram and 
did bring him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees." From 
that time for generations this family was often spoken 
of as the chosen, the elect of God. Deut. iv. 37 and 
vii. 6 — 8 ; 1 Chron. xvi. 13, 14 : Psa. xxxii. 12, and 
in many other places. 5. God also exercises his choice 
as to the heirs of salvation. They are called " God's 
elect." Rom. viii. 33. Christ calls them "the elect." 
Matt. xxiv. 22, 24, 31 ; Luke xviii. 7. Paul says, 
" God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation 
of the world that we should be holy and without blame 
before him in love." Eph. i. 4. How any man can 
dispose of all these texts without rejecting God's word, 
and yet refuse to admit decrees, predestination and 
election, it is not easy to tell. Is anything more fixed 
than the events of death, judgment and eternity with 
all that shall be done therein ? Every man plans, pur- 
poses, predestinates, before he acts or builds. Has 



god's rURPOSE OF GRACE. 113 

the Builder of the universe no plan, no purpose ? As 
to Avhether we first chose Christ, or Christ us, what 
Christian can have a doubt, when he remembers his 
own vile wanderings, and Christ's explicit teachings ? 
'' Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." 
John XV. 16. Indeed what is a prophecy but a re- 
vealed decree ? What is a decree but a purpose not 
revealed, not made known in prophecy ? 

The consent of the people of God in all periods of 
the Christian Church has been as remarkably in favour 
of the doctrine here maintained as in regard to any 
other. Formal opposition to it by those, who other- 
wise stood fair in God's Church, was unknown to the 
ancients. How clearly this doctrine was taught by 
Augustine all well-informed people know : '' Intra 
mundum facti sumus, et ante mundum electi sumus." 
'' We are made in time, but we were chosen before the 
world began.'' ^'Before he made us, he foreknew us, 
and he chose us in his foreknowledge v/hen he had not 
as yet made us." " Out of those to whom the right- 
eous Lord had adjudged punishment, according to the 
unspeakable mercy of his hidden dispensation, he 
chose out vessels, which he might fit for honour." Au- 
gustine also quotes the following from Ambrose's book 
on predestination : " Whom Christ has mercy on, him 
he calls. Those who were indevout, he could, if he 
would, have made devout. But God calls whom he 
pleases, and makes whom he will religious." Augus- 
tine took the right view of this doctrine v/hen he said : 
'^ Do you wish to dispute with me ? Rather unite with 
me in admiration, and exclaim, the depth ! Let us 
both agree in fear, lest we perish in error." More ex- 
plicit statements he could not make. 
10* 



114 god's purpose of grace. 

Fulgentlus says : '^ God, who has made man, did 
himself prepare, in his predestination, hoth the gift of 
illumination to believe, and the gift of perseverance to 
profit and persevere, and the gift of glorification to 
reign, for those to whom he pleased to give it ; who 
also does not any otherwise perform indeed, than was 
ordained by his eternal and unchangeable will. The 
truth of which predestination, whereby the Apostle 
witnesseth, we were predestinated in Christ before the 
foundation of the world," &c. &c. 

Prosper says : " Predestinationem Dei nuUus catho- 
licus negat." "No catholic denies the predestination 
of God.'' " The belief of predestination is confirmed 
by abundant authority of the holy Scriptures," &c. 
"From the punishment of the sin of our first parent 
none is freed but by the grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, prepared and predestinated in the eternal coun- 
sel of God before the foundation of the world." 

The Latter Confession of Helvetia says : " God 
hath from the beginning, and of his mere grace, with- 
out any respect of men, predestinated or elected the 
saints, whom he will save in Christ," and quotes Eph. i. 
4, and 2 Tim. i. 9, 10. " Therefore, though not for 
any merit of ours, yet not without a means, but in 
Christ, and for Christ, did God choose us ; and they 
who are now engrafted into Christ, the same also were 
elected." 

The Confession of Basle says : " We confess, that 
•God, before he had created the world, had chosen all 
those to whom he would freely give the inheritance of 
eternal blessedness," and quotes Rom. viii. 29, 30, and 
Eph. i. 4—6. 

The Confession of France says : " We believe that 



GOD S PURPOSE OF GRACE. 115 

out of this universal corruption and condemnation, 
wherein by nature all men are drowned, God did deli- 
ver and preserve some, whom, by his eternal and im- 
mutable counsel, of his own goodness and mercy, with- 
out any respect of their works, he did choose in Christ 
Jesus ; and others he left in that corruption and con- 
demnation, in whom he might make manifest his jus- 
tice, by condemning them justly in their time, as well 
as declare the riches of his mercy in the others. For 
some are not better than others, till such time as the 
Lord doth make a difference, according to that immu- 
table counsel, which he had decreed in Christ Jesus 
before the creation of the world." 

The Confession of Scotland says : " That same eter- 
nal God, who of mere grace elected us in Christ Jesus 
his Son, before the foundation of the world was laid, 
(Eph. i. 11, 12,) appointed him to be our head,^' &c. 

The Confession of Belgia says : '' We believe that 
God * * hath showed himself to be both merciful and 
just : merciful, by delivering and saving those from 
condemnation and from death, whom, in his eternal 
counsel, of his own free goodness, he hath chosen in 
Jesus Christ our Lord, without any regard at all of 
their works ; but just, in leaving others in that their 
fall and perdition, whereinto they had thrown them- 
selves headlong." 

The Synod of Dort says : " Election is the unchange- 
able purpose of God, by which, before the foundation 
of the world, according to the most free pleasure of his 
will, and of his mere grace, out of all mankind (fallen 
through their own fault from their first integrity into 
sin and destruction) he hath chosen in Christ unto sal- 
vation a set number of certain men, neither better nor 



116 god's pukpose of grace. 

more worthy than others, but lying in the common 
misery with others.'' In subsequent sections many 
explanations are given, as that this election is not 
manifold, but one ; that it was not made upon the fore- 
sight of faith or good works, but was unto faith and 
holiness ; that the true cause of this free election is 
the good pleasure of God ; that it cannot be inter- 
rupted, changed, revoked, or disannulled ; that this 
doctrine is to be reverently received, &c. &c. 

The Church of England in her 17th Article says : 
" Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of 
God, whereby (before the foundations of the earth 
were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel, 
secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation 
those, whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, 
and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, 
as vessels made to honour. Wherefore, they which be 
endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called 
according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in 
due season : they through grace obey the calling: they 
be justified freely : they be made sons of God by 
adoption : they be made like the image of his only 
begotten Son, Jesus Christ : they walk religiously in 
good works : and at length, by God's mercy, they at- 
tain to everlasting felicity. 

'^As the godly consideration of predestination, and 
our election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and 
unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel 
in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mor- 
tifying the works of the flesh, and their earthly mem- 
bers, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly 
things, (as well because it doth greatly establish and 
confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be enjoyed 



god's purpose of grace. 117 

through Christj as because it doth fervently kindle 
their love towards God ;) so, for curious and carnal 
persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have conti- 
nually before their eyes the sentence of God's predes- 
tination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the 
devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into 
wretchedness of most unclean living, no less perilous 
than desperation. 

" Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in 
such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy 
Scripture. And in our doings that will of God is to 
be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us 
in the word of God." 

The Church of Ireland has made up her Article on 
" God's eternal decree and predestination," from three 
sources; 1. The Confession of the Westminster As- 
sembly ; 2. The 17th Article of the Church of Eng- 
land ; and 3. The celebrated Lambeth Articles. That 
the reader may have a conception of the strength and 
clearness of these last, a few of them are inserted. 
They were agreed upon at Lambeth, the 20th of 
November, A. D. 1595. Archbishop Whitgift and 
Bishops Bancroft and Vaughan were among the able 
and staunch friends of these Articles; "By the same 
eternal counsel, God hath predestinated some unto 
life, and reprobated some unto death ; of both which 
there is a certain number, which can neither be in- 
creased nor diminished. The cause moving God to 
predestinate unto life, is not the foreseeing of faith, or 
good works, or of anything, which is in the person 
predestinated, but only the good pleasure of God him- 
self. But such as are not predestinated to salvation, 
shall finally be condemned for their sins." The West- 



118 god's purpose of grace. 

minster Confession says that " God from all eternity 
did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, 
freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to 
pass : yet so as thereby neither is God the author of 
sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, 
nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken 
away, but rather established." Much more is said 
to the same purpose, but quite coincident with what 
has been already quoted from the same and other sym- 
bols. 

The great lights of the Church in modern times have 
also spoken with much force on this subject. Luther, 
in commenting on the words " who separated me from 
my mother's womb," (Gal. i. 15,) says: "This is a 
Hebrew phrase ; as if he said. Who had sanctified, or- 
dained and prepared me. That is, God had appointed, 
when I was yet in my mother's womb, that I should so 
rage against his Church, and that afterward he would 
mercifully call me back again from the midst of my 
cruelty and blasphemy, by his mere grace, into the 
way of truth and salvation. To be short, when I was 
not yet born, I was an apostle in the sight of God, and 
when the time was come, I was declared an apostle 
before the whole world. 

" Thus Paul cutteth off all deserts, and giveth glory 
to God alone, but to himself shame and confusion. 
As though he would say. All the gifts, both small and 
great, as well spiritual as temporal, which God pur- 
posed to give unto me, and all the good things, which 
at any time in all my life I should do, God himself had 
before appointed when I was yet in my mother's womb, 
where I could neither wish, nor think, nor do any good 
thing. Therefore this gift also came unto me by the 



god's pxtrpose of grace. 119 

mere predestination and free mercy of God, before I 
was born/' 

Calvin says : " We shall never be convinced as we 
ought to be, that our salvation flows from the fountain 
of God's free mercy, till we are acquainted with his 
eternal election, which illustrates the grace of God by 
this comparison, that he adopts not all promiscuously 
to the hope of salvation, but gives to some what he 
refuses to others. Ignorance of this principle evi- 
dently detracts from the divine glory, and diminishes 
real humility." 

Beveridge says : " If God hath elected us, it is in 
vain for men or devils to accuse us; if he be our 
friend, it is in vain for any one to be our foe." 

Charnock says : " Conformity to God in purity is 
the fruit of electing love. Jle hath chosen us that we 
should he holy. Eph. i. 4. The goodness of the fruit 
evidences the nature of the root ; this is the seal that 
assures us the patent is the authentic grant of the 
prince." 

John Newton says : ^ ^Admitting the total depravity 
of human nature, how can we account for the conver- 
sion of a soul to God, unless we likewise admit an 
election of grace ? The work must begin somewhere. 
Either the sinner first seeks the Lord, or the Lord 
first seeks the sinner. The former is impossible, if by 
nature we are dead in trespasses and sins. ^ ^ Let me 
appeal to yourself. I think you know yourself too 
well to say that you either sought or loved the Lord 
first." 

Flavel says : " God hath chosen some to salvation 
and passed by others." ^^ God's choice was not on 



120 gob's purpose of grace. 

foreseen works, but merely of his grace, and good 
pleasure of his will." 

Leighton says : '^ The foreknowledge of God is no 
other than that eternal love of God, or decree of elec- 
tion, by which some are appointed unto life, and being 
foreknown or elected to that end, are predestinate to 
the way of it." " That thus he chooseth some, and 
rejecteth others, is for that great end, to manifest and 
magnify his mercy and justice : but why he appointed 
this man for the one, and that man for the other, 
made Peter a vessel of this mercy, and Judas of wrath, 
this is even so, because it seemed good to him. This 
if it be harsh, yet is apostolic doctrine. Hath not the 
potter (saith St. Vdb\x\) power over the clay^ of the same 
lump to onake one vessel unto honour and another unto 
dishonour? This deep we must admire, and always, in 
considering it, close with this : the depth of the riches^ 
both of the wisdom, and knowledge of Giod P^ 

A class of honest but timid people, who embrace 
these views, yet ask. Should this doctrine be preached ? 
The answer is in the aiBrmative ; 1. Because Christ 
and his Apostles preached it. Their example is safe. 
2. It is conducive to holiness when rightly understood 
and sincerely loved. 3. It is full of comfort to the 
humble. But then it should be preached as Christ 
and his Apostles preached it. Augustine says : " Both 
the grace of free election and predestination, and 
also wholesome admonitions and doctrines are to be 
preached." 



CHAPTER XVI. 

god's word teaches the doctrines of grace. — THE 
FATHERS ALSO. 

The doctrine of gratuitous salvation is prominent 
in the teachings of inspired men. It is implied in the 
whole structure of revelation. It is expressly taught 
in many places. Even on Mount Sinai, amidst all the 
grandeur and terror of that scene, the Lord passed 
by and proclaimed himself, " The Lord, the Lord God, 
merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in 
goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, for- 
giving iniquity, transgression and sin, and that will by 
no means clear the guilty." Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Al- 
though in this passage we have a clear revelation of 
God's inflexible justice, yet we have also a rich variety 
of expression revealing his grace. That great patriot, 
soldier, and statesman, renowned for his piety in days 
of general wickedness, Nehemiah, having given an ac- 
count of all his labours, perils and sufferings says : 
*' Remember me, my God, concerning this also, and 
spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy." 
Nell. xiii. 22. To this day convinced and penitent 
sinners find no language more appropriate to their 
wants, when pleading for mercy and asking for grace, 
than that used by David, by Daniel, and other Old 
Testament saints. The wants of sinners as such are 
in all ages the same. The parable of the pharisee and 
11 (121) 



122 god's word teaches 

the publican, the parable of the prodigal son, the parable 
of the two debtors, and many other teachings of Jesus 
Christ, clearly show that he led men to hope for salva- 
tion as a gift, and in no other way. One of our Lord's 
sayings has been very dear to afflicted consciences ever 
since it was uttered, and shall be so while the world 
stands : " God so loved the world, that he gave his 
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." 

But in the Epistles, especially those of Paul, the 
doctrines of grace are stated with great clearness and 
fulness. In particular the fact of our salvation being 
a gratuity is unmistakably announced. The following 
texts are considered sufficient : " But now the right- 
eousness of God without the law is manifested, being 
witnessed by the law and the prophets ; even the right- 
eousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto 
all, and upon all them that believe ; for there is no 
difference : for all have sinned and come short of the 
glory of God ; being justified freely by his grace, 
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ; whom 
God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith 
in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remis- 
sion of sins that are past, through the forbearance of 
God ; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness : 
that he might be just, and the justifier of him, which 
believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then ? It is ex- 
cluded. By what law ? of works ? Nay : but by the 
law of faith." Rom. iii. 21 — 27. Here we are taught 

1. that the righteousness of God is without the law ; 

2. that it yet meets the demands of law, for God is 
just, when he justifies ; 3. that boasting is, by God's 
method of saving, cut off in every case ; and 4. that 



THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE. 123 

this IS done not by works but by faith. Soon after- 
wards Paul speaks thus : " Now to him that worketh, is 
the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But 
to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that 
justijBeth the ungodly, his faith is counted for right- 
eousness.'' Rom. iv. 4, 5. Here whatever works mean, 
faith is just the opposite ; whatever debt is, grace is 
its opposite. If you owe a man a shilling and pay it, 
you do not bestow on him a gift. If you owe him 
nothing and hand him a shilling, it is not paying a 
debt. The same thing cannot be both a gratuity and 
the payment of a debt. 

; Again : "Where sin abounded, grace did much more 
abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so 
might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal 
life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. v. 20, 21. Here 
we have, 1. the utter ruin of man — "sin abounded;'' 
2. the glory and fulness of God's scheme for saving 
men — "grace did much more abound;" 3. God saves 
not by trampling on justice, but "grace reigns through 
righteousness ;" 4. the salvation of the gospel is not 
limited by the temporal blessings it brings — grace 
reigns '^unto eternal life ;" and 5. no man is the author 
of his own salvation, but it is all " by Jesus Christ our 
Lord." Again : " The gift of God is eternal life 
through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. vi. 23. Nor 
did Paul teach one doctrine to the Romans, and a dif- 
ferent doctrine to other churches. To the Galatians 
he says : " We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners 
of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by 
the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, 
even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might 
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works 



124 god's word teaches 

of the law ; for by the works of the law shall no flesh 
be justified. * * The life which I now live, I live by the 
faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave him- 
self for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God : for 
if righteousness were by the law, then Christ is dead 
in vain.'' Gal. ii. 15, 16, 20, 21. He could not more 
clearly teach that a denial of gratuitous salvation sub- 
verts the whole gospel scheme. Indeed he teaches at 
large that " as many as are of the works of the law, 
are under the curse : for it is written, ^' Cursed is every 
one that continueth not in all things, which are written 
in the book of the law, to do them. But that no man 
is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident 
for. The just shall live by faith." Gal. iii. 10, 11. 
Again : " Christ is become of no efi^ect unto you, who- 
soever of you are justified by the law ; ye are fallen 
from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the 
hope of righteousness by faith." Gal. v. 4, 5. To 
the Corinthians he says : " By the grace of God I am 
what I am." 1 Cor. xv. 10. To a fourth church he 
twice says: "By grace are ye saved." Eph. ii. 5, 8. 
To another he says that God even our Father " hath 
loved us, and given us everlasting consolation and 
good hope through grace." 2 Thess. ii. 16. To Titus he 
says that " not by works of righteousness which we 
have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved 
us." If any want yet other proofs they can consult 
Rom. iii. 24; v. 4, 8, 15, 17, 20, and 21. Paul 
takes pains to remind us that grace excludes works, 
and works grace. He argues that if salvation be "by 
grace, then it is no more by works : otherwise grace is 
no more grace. But if it be of w^orks, then it is no 
more grace : otherwise work is no more work. Rom. 



THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE. 125 

xi. 6. Wages is one thing, a debt is another thing. 
The merits of men, if pleaded for righteousness, ex- 
clude the merits of Christ. The merits of Christ, if 
accepted for salvation, exclude our own merits. 

It is truly refreshing to find the early writers of the 
Christian church, after the apostles' days, speaking so 
clearly as they often do on this subject. Clement of 
Rome, a cotemporary and fellow labourer of Paul, re- 
ferring to the Old Testament Fathers says : " All were 
glorified and exalted, not by themselves, nor by their 
works, nor by the righteousness they have wrought out, 
but by his will. We, therefore, being called by his 
will in Christ, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our 
own wisdom, understanding or piety, nor by any works, 
which w^e have wrought in the holiness of our hearts ; 
but we are justified by faith, by which God Almighty 
has justified all from the beginning of the world." 
Polycarp, the disciple of John and the venerable wit- 
ness of Christ; says : " Let us incessantly and stead- 
fastly adhere to Him, who is our hope, and the earnest 
of our righteousness, Jesus Christ, who bore our sins 
in his own body on the tree : who did no sin, neither 
was guile found in his mouth, but he suffered all on our 
account, that we might live in him." Justin Martyr 
says that God " gave his own Son a propitiation for us, 
the Holy One for transgressors, the innocent for the 
guilty, the just for the unjust, the incorruptible for the 
corrupt, for what else could cover our sins but his right- 
eousness ? In whom was it possible that we, who are 
guilty and ungodly, could be justified, except in the 
Son of God alone ? unsearchable wonder ! un- 
expected benefit ! that the sins of many should be hid 
in one, and that the righteousness of one should justify 
11^ 



126 TnE FATHERS TEACH 

many transgressors." Macarlus says that, " whatever 
good a man does by natural strength can never save 
him without the grace of Jesus Clirist." Ambrose 
says, " If so be that justification, which is by grace, 
were due unto merits going before, so that it should 
not be a gift of the giver, but a reward of the worker, 
the redemption by the blood of Christ would grow to 
be of small account, and the prerogative of man's 
works would not yield unto the mercies of God." 
Again : '^ They are evidently blessed, whose iniquities 
are forgiven, without any labour or work, and whose 
sins are covered, no help of repentance being required 
of them, but only this that they believe." Again : 
" They are justified freely, because that working 
nothing, nor requiting anything, by faith alone they 
are justified, by the gift of God." Hilary says: 
'' It ofi*ended the Scribes, that man should forgive sin, 
(for they beheld nothing but man in Jesus Christ) and 
that he should forgive that which the law could not 
release. For faith alone doth justify." Chrysostom 
says : " Our works, if there be any consequent on 
God's gratuitous vocation, are a retribution and a debt; 
but the gifts of God are grace, beneficence, and im- 
mense liberality." In remarking on these words, 
''that we might be made the righteousness of God in 
him," he exclaims, " What a saying ! what mind can 
comprehend it ? For he made a just person a sinner, 
that he might make sinners just ! rather I should say, 
he says more : he doth not say, he made him a sin- 
ner, but sin, that we might be made not righteous, but 
righteousness, even the righteousness of God. For it 
is of God, since not of works (wliich would require 
spotless perfection) but by grace Ave are justified, where 



THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE. 127 

all Sin IS blotted out." And as Paul among inspired men, 
so Augustine among the Fathers stands out the great 
champion of the doctrines of grace. He says : " Let 
human merit, which was lost by Adam, here be silent, 
and let the grace of God reign through Jesus Christ.'' 
'' The saints ascribe nothing to their own merits ; they 
will ascribe all, God, only to thy mercy." ''And 
when a man sees that whatever good he has, he has it 
not from himself, but from his God, he sees that all 
that is commended in him, proceeds not from his own 
merits, but from the divine mercy." "Thou canst not 
deliver thyself. Thou hast need of a Saviour. Why 
dost thou vaunt thyself? What maketh thee to pre- 
sume of the law and of righteousness ? Seest thou 
not that which doth fight within thee ? Dost thou not 
hear one that striveth, and confesseth his weakness, 
and desireth aid in the battle, saying ' wretched man 
that I am, who shall deliver me?' " &c. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



WHAT THE MARTYRS THOUGHT. — THE REFORMERS. — 
OTHER GOOD MEN. 

Did you ever hear of a martyr dying in the tri- 
umphs of self-righteousness, giving glory to nature, 
lauding his own ability, extolling his own works ? All 
those faithful witnesses held one doctrine, viz. that 
works are in our case nothing, and grace is everything. 
Hear blessed old Tyndall: ''If thou wouldst obtain 
heaven by the merits and deservings of thy own works, 
thou wrongest and shamest the blood of Christ. Faith 
only justifieth. In believing we receive the Spirit of 
God, w^hich is the earnest of eternal life ; and we are 
in eternal life already, and already feel in our heart 
the sweetness thereof, and are overcome with the kind- 
ness of God, and of Christ, and therefore we love the 
will of God, and of love are ready to work freely." 
And that ever-honoured man, great Patrick Hamilton, 
burned at St. Andrews in the year 1527, spake no less 
decisively. He said : " No man is justified by the 
deeds of the law, but by the faith of Christ. He was 
punished for thee, and therefore thou shalt not be pun- 
ished. I do not say we ought to do no good deeds ; 
but I say we should do no good works to the intent to 
obtain remission of sins, and the inheritance of heaven, 
for God saith, Thy sins are forgiven thee for my Son's 
sake, and thou shalt have the inheritance of heaven for 
(128) 



WHAT TKE MARTYRS AND OTHERS THOUGHT. 129 

my Son's sake. I condemn not good deeds, but I con- 
demn trust in any works ; for all the works, wherein a 
man putteth any confidence, are by his confidence poi- 
soned, and become evil ; wherefore thou must do good 
works, and beware of doing them with the view to de- 
serve any good for them. In a Christian man's life, 
and in order of doctrine, there is the law, repentance, 
hope, charity, and the deeds of charity ; yet in the act 
of justification there is nothing else in man that hath 
part or place but faith alone, apprehending the object, 
w^hich is Christ crucified, in whom is all the worthiness 
and fulness of our salvation." Robert Barnes, an 
English martyr of great eminence, says : ''AH the me- 
rits and goodness, grace and favour, and all that is in 
Christ to our salvation, is imputed and reckoned unto 
us because we hang and believe on him." Cranmer 
says that when we believe, '' God doth no more impute 
unto us our former sins, but he doth impute and give 
unto us the justice and righteousness of his Son Jesus 
Christ, which sufi'ered for us." 

The Marquis of Argyle on the scafibld said, "Many 
look on my condition as . a sufi'ering condition ; but I 
bless the Lord, that he that hath gone before me, hath 
trod the wine-press of the Father's wrath ; by whose 
sufferings, I hope that my sufi*erings shall not be eter- 
nal. I bless him that hath taken away the sting of 
my sufi'erings : I may say that my charter was sealed 
to-day ; for the Lord hath said to me, ' Son, be of good 
cheer, thy sins are freely forgiven thee;' and so I 
hope my sufierings shall be very easy." James Guth- 
rie on the scafibld said, " I bless God and die not as a 
fool ; not that I have anything wherein to glory in 
myself ; I acknowledge that I am a sinner, yea, one 



130 WHAT THE martyrs and others thought. 

of the greatest and vilest that has owned a profession 
of religion, and one of the most unworthy that has 
preached the gospel ; my corruptions have been strong 
and many, and have made me a sinner in all things, 
yea, even in following my duty ; and therefore, right- 
eousness have I none of mine own; all is vile; but I 
do believe that ' Jesus Christ came into the world to 
save sinners, of whom I am chief/ Through faith in 
his righteousness and blood have I obtained mercy ; 
and through him and him alone have I the hope of a 
blessed conquest and victory over sin, and Satan, and 
hell, and death." 

In Rev. vii. 9 — 17, John gives us the following ac- 
count of the martyrs in glory, corresponding exactly 
with the foregoing views of the martyrs on earth. 
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which 
no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, 
and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and 
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms 
in their hands ; and cried with a loud voice, saying, 
Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, 
and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round 
about the throne, and about the elders and the four 
beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and 
worshipped God, saying, Amen : Blessing, and glory, 
and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, 
and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, 
What are these which are arrayed in white robes? 
and whence came they ? And I said unto him. Sir, 
thou knowest. And he said to me. These are they 
which came out of great tribulation, and have washed 
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the 



WHAT THE MARTYRS AND OTHERS THOUGHT. 131 

Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, 
and serve him day and night in his temple : and he 
that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more ; 
neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat : for 
the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed 
them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of wa- 
ters : and God shall wipe away all tears from their 
eyes.'' 

Many other great men, whose praise has long been 
in the churches speak the same things. In his pro- 
testation upon the article of Justification, Luther 
says : " This is the true gospel, Jesus Christ redeemed 
us from our sins, and he only. This most firm and 
certain truth is the voice of Scripture, though the 
world and all the devils rage and roar. If Christ 
alone take away our sins, we cannot do this with our 
works ; and as it is impossible to embrace Christ but 
by faith, it is therefore impossible to apprehend him 
by works. If, then, faith alone must apprehend Christ 
before works can follow, the conclusion is irrefragable, 
that faith alone apprehends him, before and without 
the consideration of works ; and this is our justifica- 
tion and deliverance from sin. Then, and not till 
then, good works follow faith, as its necessary and in- 
separable fruit." 

Calvin in his last will says : " I witness and declare 
that I intend not to seek any other aid or refuge for 
salvation, than his free adoption, in which alone salva- 
tion resteth ; and with my whole heart I embrace the 
mercy which he hath used with me for Jesus Christ's 
sake, recompensing my faults with the merit of his 
death and passion, that satisfaction might be made by 



132 WHAT THE MARTYRS AND OTHERS THOUGHT. 

tWs means for all my sins and crimes, and the remem- 
brance of them be blotted out. I witness also and de- 
clare, that I humbly beg of him, that being washed 
and cleansed in the blood of that highest Redeemer, 
shed for the sins of mankind, I may stand at the judg- 
ment-seat under the image of my Redeemer/' 

Zuingle in his famous LXVII Articles issued in 
1523, says : (Art. III.) " Christ is the only way of 
salvation to all who ever have lived, are living now, or 
ever shall live." Again, (Art. XXII.) " Christ is our 
righteousness. Hence it follows that our works are so 
far good, as they are of Christ ; but as far as they are 
ours, they are not truly good." 

Peter Martyr says : " If faith itself be considered 
as our act, it is impossible we should be justified by it, 
because faith, in this view of it, is lame and imperfect, 
and falls short of that completeness which the law re- 
quires ; but we are said to be justified by faith because 
it is by faith that we lay hold upon, and apply to our- 
selves the promises of Grod, and the righteousness and 
merits of Christ." 

Leighton says : " Free grace, being rightly appre- 
hended, is that which stays the heart in all estates. 
"What though there be nothing in myself but matter 
of sorrow and discomfort ; it cannot be otherwise. It 
is not from myself I look for comfort at any time, but 
from my God and his free grace. Here is comfort 
enough for all times ! When I am at the best, I 
ought not, I dare not, rely on myself. When at the 
worst, I may and should rely upon Christ, and his suf- 
ficient grace." 

Whitefield says that some " are for doing what they 
can themselves and then Jesus Christ is to make up 



WHAT THE MARTYRS AND OTHERS THOUGHT. 133 

the deficiencies of their righteousness. This is the 
sum and substance of our modern divinity. And was 
it possible for me to know the thoughts of most that 
hear me this day, I believe they would tell me this 
was the scheme they had laid, and perhaps depended 
on, for some years, for their eternal salvation. Is it 
not then high time, my brethren, for you to entertain 
quite different thoughts concerning justification by 
Jesus Christ? * * * Salvation is the free gift of God. 
I know no fitness in man but a fitness to be cast into 
the lake of fire and brimstone for ever. Our right- 
eousnesses in God's sight are but as filthy rags. He 
cannot away with them. Our holiness, if we have any, 
is not the cause, but the effect of our justification in 
God's sight. 'We love him because he first loved 
us.' * * Our salvation is all of God from the beginning 
to the end ; it is not of works lest any man should 
boast. Man has no hand in it." 

Pemble says that our assent to the promise of God 
must be " of the whole heart, in trust, reliance, de- 
pendence, adherence, affiance, or, if there be any other 
word, expressing that action of the soul, w^hereby it 
casteth and reposeth itself only upon God's promise in 
Christ for obtaining eternal happiness. The heart, 
touched with the spirit of grace, throws itself into 
Christ's arms, grasping him with all its might. Hiding 
itself in the clefts of this rock from the storms of God's 
furious indignation, it bespeaks Christ in all the terms 
of confidence and affiance, my Lord, my God, my hope, 
my fortress, my rock, my strength." 

Beart in his treatise entitled the Eternal Law and 
Everlasting Gospel says : '' The essence of the Gospel 
is a free promise, free gift, free grace : A Saviour ! A 
12 



134 WHAT THE MARTYRS AND OTHERS THOUGHT. 

Saviour ! is the loud proclamation of the Gospel. Jus- 
tification, as it is the application of the righteousness 
of Christ, in the Spirit's working faith, hath an unbe- 
lieving ungodly man for its object ; as it is an acquit- 
tance or declaring righteous, so it has a believer for 
its object, God, who justifies the ungodly, the justifier 
of him who believes in Jesus. That faith in Christ 
as a priest is the foundation of all obedience to him as 
a king, must be inculcated. here lies God's order, 
to bring a soul to Christ, and then he is brought to 
holiness ! Man's order is, to bring him to holiness, 
that he may come to Christ. But this is to try to 
wash the Ethiopian white." 

Toplady says : " Fallen man can never know what 
it is to speed his way to the kingdom of heaven, and 
make large advances in sanctification, till his progress 
is disembarrassed by a full submission to the righteous- 
ness of God the Son, as the sole procuring cause of 
eternal blessedness.'' 

Among the dying words of John Brown of Had- 
dington were these : " The command is ' Owe no man 
anything.' What a mercy that there is no such pre- 
cept as this : Owe a Saviour nothing ; or even this : 
Study to owe him as little as possible." " what a 
mercy that my admission into eternal life does not in 
the least depend on my ability for anything ; but I, as 
a poor sinner, will win in leaning on Christ, as the 
Lord my righteousness ; on Christ ' made of God unto 
me righteousness, sanctification and redemption.' I 
have nothing to sink my spirits but my sins ; and these 
need not sink me either, since the great God is my 
Saviour." ^^I have altered my mind about many 
things ; but I am now of the same mind that ever I 



WHAT THE MARTYRS AND OTHERS THOUGHT. 135 

was, as to grace and salvation through Christ." One 
ofNevins's dying sayings was: ''I recommend Christ 
to you; I have nothing else to recommend." And 
blessed McCheyne said : " Live within sight of Cal- 
vary and you will live within sight of glory." Vinet 
says, " Grace, as it is manifested in the Gospel, is the 
most splendid homage which the law can receive. * * 
The same act proclaims the compassion of God, and 
the inflexibility of his justice." As Dr. Nettleton drew 
very near his end, he said '^the great truths of the 
Gospel appear more precious than ever ; and they are 
the truths which now sustain my soul." Again : ^'I 
do not need anybody to tell me that the doctrines of 
grace are true. I am fully convinced of their truth 
by my own experience.^' 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE GKACE OF CHKIST NOT DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF 
THE FATHER OR SPIRIT. 

It would be a great mistake if any should suppose 
that the grace of Christ is greater than that of the 
Father or of the Spirit, or that the love of Christ dif- 
fers from the love of the first and second persons of 
the Trinity. The truth is, the grace of each person 
of the Godhead in man's salvation is absolutely infinite 
and amazing. The "help of the Spirit,'^ and "the 
love of the Spirit," are forms of expression as dear to 
the church of God as any found in Scripture. So also 
when " grace, mercy and peace from God the Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ," are brought to our notice, 
we see at once how inspiration refuses to separate 
between the love and grace of one person, and the love 
and grace of another person of the Godhead. Some- 
times all three persons are spoken of in one verse, as in 
2 Cor. xiii. 14. " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the love of God, and the communion of the Holy 
Ghost be with you all." The concord of the divine 
persons is no less than the harmony of the divine attri- 
butes in the work of man's salvation. The Father 
pitied our case, and gave his Son, and sends his Spirit. 
The Son loved us, came and died for us, is ascended 
up on high to plead for us, and unites with the Father 
in sending the Spirit. The Holy Ghost loved us, in- 

(136) 



THE GRACE OF FATHER, SON, AND SPIRIT. 137 

spired the prophets to speak and write as they did, 
dwelt abundantly in the man Christ Jesus, and illumi- 
nates, regenerates, sanctifies and comforts all the peo- 
ple of God. So that while the phrase " grace of God" 
has at times, no doubt, special reference to the kindness 
of the Father it yet appropriately expresses the mercy 
and favour of the entire Godhead. The Bible no where 
represents to us a Trinity divided in counsels, in pur- 
poses, in works, in being or in glory. Creation, pro- 
vidence and redemption are the works of all united. 
In all of these each person has equal and undivided 
honours. The death of the man Christ Jesus, was the 
fruit and not the cause of the love of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Spirit towards our race. The 
first and third persons of the Trinity are as compassion- 
ate and loving as is the second. The love of Father, 
Son and Holy Ghost is shown in Christ Jesus, being 
the way, the truth and the life. Yet nothing here said 
is designed to diminish our love for Christ, but on the 
contrary to heighten it. His grace is indeed an ex- 
pression of the unfailing good will of the Creator of the 
ends of the earth. To them who believe Christ is precious. 
Calvin well says " Since we see that the whole of our 
salvation, and all the branches of it, are comprehen- 
ded in Christ, we must be cautious not to alienate from 
him the least possible portion of it. If we seek sal- 
vation, we are taught by the name of JESUS that it 
is in him; if we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, 
they are found in his unction ; strength, in his domi- 
nion ; purity, in his conception ; indulgence discovers 
itself in his nativity ; by which he was made to resem 
ble us in all things, that he might learn to condole with 
us. If we seek redemption, it will be found in his pas- 
12^ 



138 THE GRACE OF FATHER, SON, AND SPIRIT. 

sion ; absolution, in his condemnation ; remissv)n of 
the curse, in his cross ; sanctification, in his sacrifice ; 
purification, in his blood ; reconciliation, in his descent 
into hell ; mortification of the flesh, in his sepulchre ; 
newness of life and immortality, in his resurrection ; 
the inheritance of the celestial kingdom, in his en- 
trance into heaven ; protection, security, abundance 
and enjoyment of all blessings, in his kingdom ; a 
fearless expectation of the judgment, in the judicial 
authority committed to him. Finally, blessings of every 
kind are deposited in him ; let us draw from his trea- 
sury and from no other source, till our desires are satis- 
fied ; for they who, not content with him alone, are 
driven hither and thither into a variety of hopes, 
although they fix their eyes principally on him, never- 
theless deviate from the right w^ay in the diversion of 
any part of their attention to another quarter. This 
distrust however cannot intrude where the plenitude 
of his blessings hath once been truly known.'' Nor is 
it necessary to be continually on our guard lest by 
giving divine honours to one we should offend the other 
persons of the Trinity. He who honours the Son, 
honours the Father. God is one, though subsisting in 
three persons. Worship ofi*ered to one person of the 
Godhead with the intention of slighting the others 
would indeed be an abomination. But a heart full of 
love to the Father for giving his Son, will be sure to 
love the Son, who came, and the Spirit who anointed 
him. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



NO SALVATION BUT BY A REDEEMER, AND NO REDEEMER 
BUT CHRIST. 

The Lord is a holy God. He hates all sin, yea, he 
abhors it. His aversion to it is infinite. Moreover, 
he is a Lawgiver and Governor. In this respect his 
character must be maintained. God cannot deny him- 
self. He cannot deny his right to rule. He cannot 
permit transgression in his dominions to go unpunished. 
He cannot but justify the righteous, and condemn the 
wicked. When man sinned he fell under the wrath 
of God, the indignation of the King Eternal. His 
ruin was entire. What was to be done in his case ? 
The following are the only courses, which can be con- 
ceived of. 

1. God had power and authority, if he had seen fit, 
to annihilate the human race. But to this course the 
objections are numerous and insurmountable. Dread- 
ful as is annihilation, it has never been shown to be 
an adequate punishment for sin. So far as we know, 
God never has annihilated, and never will annihilate 
anything, which he has made. Even the fires of the 
last day will but change and not destroy the elements 
on which they will kindle. Had God extinguished our 
race, he would have left this lower world without an 
intelligent head. In that case no reasonable service, 
no song of thanksgiving could ever have been rendered 

(139) 



140 NO SALVATION BUT BY A REDEEMER, 

to the Maker of heaven and earth by any inhabitant 
of our globe. Besides, who is the Lord, that he should 
repent ? Having begun to build he was able to finish, 
and he determined to prove that he was neither dis- 
appointed nor baffled. 

2. A second course, conceivable in our case was that 
Jehovah should without delay and without mercy con- 
sign the entire human family to hopeless, endless mi- 
sery. This would have been just, gloriously just and 
right. Our elder brethren, the sinning angels, had 
received this doom, and all heaven had pronounced 
their sentence righteous. But had this been done in 
the case of man, not an individual of our entire race 
of intelligent beings would have remained a worship- 
per of the God who made us ; nor would earth have 
ever resounded with a single hosanna. Like hell our 
globe would have sent up only wailings, bowlings, blas- 
phemies, and the smoke of its torment for ever and 
ever. Men would have been awful monuments of in- 
exorable justice ; but .none of them would have ever 
illustrated God's long-suffering, or his loving-kindness. 
Yet the justice of such a doom being absolute, sentence 
of eternal banishment pronounced against the entire 
race would have wronged no one, and, being what had 
before fallen on rebel angels, could hardly have sur- 
prised any one. 

3. The third conceivable course for God to pursue 
was entirely to overlook man's sin, connive at his 
rebellion, and take him into the divine embrace, though 
steeped in guilt and reeking in pollution. This is con- 
ceivable, but not admissible. For then the universe 
would have seen the divine government trampled on, 
and that with impunity, the eternal law broken, and 



AND NO REDEEMER BUT CHRIST. 141 

the Lawgiver consenting to such rebellion. This 
course must have not only shaken but destroyed all 
confidence in the rectitude of the divine character. In 
that case the government of the universe must have 
been dissolved, and war and anarchy and rebellion 
have reigned and rioted for ever. Seriously to sup- 
pose that God should ever consent to let sin pass un- 
noticed is to conceive blasphemy. 

4. The last conceivable course to be pursued in 
man's case was to adopt some method, by which to 
satisfy the demands of law, and yet save the sinner ; 
maintain the glory of divine justice, and yet rescue the 
criminal ofi'ender. What that method of deliverance 
should be no creature could tell. Sin had wrought 
such mischief, and was in its nature so deadly and ma- 
lignant, that God himself is in Scripture represented 
as wondering that none could provide a remedy. Our 
case is well described by Jehovah : " When I passed 
by thee, and looked upon thee, behold thy time was 
the time of love ; and I spread my skirt over thee, 
and covered thy nakedness ; yea, I sware unto thee, 
and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord 
God.'' A ransom, a Mediator were spoken of, but 
where a suflScient Saviour could be found, no man, no 
angel could tell. Who could pay a full, an adequate 
redemption price ? The law violated and dishonoured 
by transgression, the law to be satisfied and magnified 
in man's recovery was glorious in holiness, absolutely 
incapable of amendment, and infinitely perfect. It 
was suited and intended to be universal, binding every 
rational creature to all eternity. The only perfectly 
happy society that ever existed was a community 
wholly conformed to its precepts. The only absolutely 



142 NO SALVATION BUT BY A REDEEMER, 

miserable and intolerable state of personal or social 
existence ever known was where all the precepts of 
this law were constantly broken. How could repara- 
tion be made to such a government violated ? How 
could a ransom be provided for such transgressors ? 

Suppose man should offer to God all the products 
of the earth, all its grain and all its mines, all its 
fruits and all its cattle. At the very best, man could 
offer but some of these, for he must use a part in order 
to subsist. The residue he might indeed offer. But 
if men come with any decent regard to truth in making 
such offerings they would say as David of old : " Who 
am I, and what is my people, that we should be able 
to offer so willingly after this sort ? for all things como 
of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.'' 1 Chron. 
xxix. 14. A company of beggars in going to ask alms 
of a rich man might drive up his flocks and his herds 
to stand before him, or might bring the fruits of his 
fields and lay them at his feet, but these were all his 
before they brought them before him, and so could not 
purchase anything from him. So God says, "the 
earth is mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills." 
The gifts we can bring from the store-house of nature 
all belong to God already, and so can make no atone- 
ment, can be no price which he will accept as from us. 

A citizen of a free and sovereign State lawfully gets 
into his possession five millions of her funds, and then 
not only embezzles the whole amount, but also com- 
mits treason and is arrested and brought to trial. He 
proposes to arrest all legal proceedings by delivering 
up all the money except one thousand dollars, which 
sum he has spent, and has nothing besides. Can the 
government accede to his proposal? It may be in 



AND NO REDEEMER BUT CHRIST. 143 

great straits for funds, it may see no way of escaping 
bankruptcy unless it can recover the sum lost or near 
that amount ; it may see that without the consent of 
the guilty man it can recover nothing. Under these 
circumstances it may accept his oifer, but when it 
does, it clearly admits its own weakness and imper- 
fection. It declares that there are cases of atrocious 
crime and novel difficulty, where it cannot bring the 
law to bear, except by sustaining a loss too great for 
its own resources. The divine government could never 
accede to such a compounding of crime. It would tar- 
nish all its glory. It can bring every oifender to jus- 
tice. It holds all the wicked in the grasp of its om- 
nipotence. It knows all their secrets, all their accom- 
plices, all their hiding-places. It is never in straits. 
To allow men to redeem themselves by silver and gold 
or the fruits of the earth would have been a mockery 
of all justice. 

Nor could bloody sacrifices of animals have been a 
ransom. As property the animals slain belonged to 
God already : and as sacrifices they never did nor 
could have any efficacy in setting aside the penalty of 
the moral law. They never were at all acceptable to 
God except as appointed by himself to be the types of 
the sacrifice of his Son. Viewed in any other light, 
^' he, that killeth an ox, is as if he slew a man ; he, 
that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck ; 
he, that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's 
blood ; he, that burneth incense, as if he blessed an 
idol." Isa. Ixvi. 3. So that it was impossible to make 
satisfaction in this way. 

Nor could man by voluntary suffering, self-inflicted, 
work out his own redemption. He cannot do this 



144 NO SALVATION BUT BY A BEBEEMEB, 

•when ho has offended a merely human government. 
The murderer found guilty and sentenced to death is 
never permitted by total or partial fasting, by sighing 
and groaning, by beating himself with rods, or tearing 
himself with pincers to set aside the penalty of the 
law. The reason is that all these sufferings do not 
satisfy the law. They are not the penalty provided. 
So under the government of God voluntary humility 
and dishonouring of the body, though in the eyes of 
the simple they have a show of wisdom, can never re- 
deem a soul, can never satisfy God's law. 

Nor can present or future reformation atone for past 
sins. The very best obedience, which can possibly be 
rendered, is due, always was due, always will be due 
to God. He, who owes a thousand pounds, cannot 
discharge that debt by being careful to contract no 
new obligations with the same house. A man may 
have lived a blameless life for half a century. He 
may then commit murder, and if it is proven on him, 
he cannot plead his former good conduct, nor give the 
amplest security for future good behaviour, in order to 
set aside the penalty incurred by murder. Under 
God's government all our obedience is God's right, and 
to give him his right at one time cannot redeem us 
from the guilt of transgression at another. 

Nor can one man redeem another. All men are 
guilty and have forfeited their lives by their own sins. 
When two pirates are condemned to death, one of 
them cannot die for the other, for the reason that he 
has to die for himself. Two manslayers are sentenced 
for life to close prison. One cannot take the place of 
the other, and so let him go free. Redemption, there- 



AND NO REDEEMER BUT CHRIST. 145 

fore, by any human means or merits was absolutely 
out of the question. 

Nor could angels atone for men. Of course the suf- 
ferings oi fallen angels, though they are the pains of 
hell, being due for their own transgressions, could be 
no ransom for us. Nor could lioly angels make atone- 
ment or bring in righteousness for others. All the 
obedience they can render is due for themselves. They 
could therefore never supererogate. They can have 
no surplus of merit beyond their own wants. Nor 
could they by suffering ever exhaust the penalty due 
for man's sins. An angel is finite. The law violated 
and the justice offended are infinite. Sin is therefore 
an infinite evil. In an angel an eternity of suffering 
would be necessary to redeem one man from hell. The 
sin of even one man would, if imputed to an angel, 
send him to prison for ever. Had his mediation been 
admitted, where would have been the gain in the hap- 
piness of the universe ? Then too a sinner pardoned 
would have been bound for ever to ascribe his redemp- 
tion not only to a mere creature, but to that creature 
ever suffering in hell the penalty due to the ransomed 
spirit, whose substitute he had become. In this way 
no end would ever be made of transgression. The suf- 
fering substitute could never rise triumphant and say, 
"It is finished.'' And the redeemed would have 
praised in the highest notes and with the deepest sense 
of obligation their deliverer, and that deliverer would 
have still been enduring the penalty. Such would 
have been the confusion, disorder, and idolatry of ad- 
mitting an angel or angels to undertake the work of 
redemption. 

Besides, any holy angel must have been for ever 
13 



146 NO SALVATION BUT BY A REDEEMER, 

unfit for the work of mediation, as he is not able as a 
days-man to lay his hand upon both God and man. 
The highest created angel is infinitely inferior to God. 
For him to claim equality with God would have been 
robbery indeed. He never could have appeared be- 
fore God with authority, asserting a right to dominion 
over any part of his works. He never could have been 
admitted into the counsels of eternity. He Avould 
have been looked upon with a righteous jealousy by 
God himself as a rival in his kingdom and for his 
throne. His intercessions must therefore have failed. 
He never could have said, " Father, I will,'' without 
great presumption. 

Nor could any holy angel ever have sympathized 
with man, either as a sufferer or as a sinner, to such an 
extent as would have fitted him to be a Redeemer. 
Angels know not what suffering is. In their natures 
they are quite ignorant of what are the real feelings 
of men. They know nothing by experience of the 
natural affections of men. They understand not the 
hard pressure of poverty, or shame. Being holy and 
yet finite in their compassions, no one of them could 
endure the recital of our offences without utter dislike 
to our persons. Before he had learned half of the 
details and aggravating circumstances of any one's 
crimes, he would have turned away with unspeakable 
loathing from the shocking tale of human guilt. He 
would have said, " Such a sinner ought to perish — 
must perish — I can have no sympathy with him.^' It 
is indeed well for us that our salvation does not depend 
on the mercies of an angel. If it did, our doom would 
soon be sealed. The reason is that our case requires 
a height, a depth, a length and a breadth of compas- 



AND NO REDEEMER BUT CHRIST. 147 

slon and grace to be found in but one being in the 
universe. "It is of the Lord's mercies," yes, "it is 
of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed." 

Nor upon any admissible supposition could one angel 
have redeemed many souls. Had one of them become 
a mediator, he could not have saved any considerable 
number of the human fiimily. So that still nearly all 
the inhabitants of earth must have perished, or there 
must have been millions of redeemers, and consequently 
as many different objects, to whom loud praises and 
eternal thanks should have been rendered. And as 
redemption is a greater blessing than creation, each 
person thus saved would for ever have felt himself 
more indebted to a creature than to the Creator, inas- 
much as the deliverer of each one would in the case 
supposed have been a creature. Such are some of the 
monstrous results, to which the admission of a finite 
mediator would have led. So that we are shut up to 
the admission that no finite being could ever fitly or 
successfully have undertaken our cause. None of these 
difficulties lie in the way of Christ's mediation. Nor 
could there be any objection to his undertaking our 
cause, unless it were one of the following, viz : 

1. That God was unwilling to admit any interposi- 
tion in our behalf. Such unwillingness would have 
operated no injustice to us. Our mouths must have 
been for ever stopped, if he had treated us as he 
treated rebel angels. But God, ever blessed be his 
name, pitied us, and was willing to save us. He re- 
joiced to send his Son. He delivered him up freely. 
He so loved the world that he gave him not grudg- 
ingly, nor reluctantly, but freely and benignantly. 



148 NO SALVATION BUT BY A REDEEMER, 

God, therefore, as the offended Lawgiver, made no 
objection to Christ's mediation. 

2. Or it would have been a valid objection to Christ's 
mediation, if he himself had been unwilling to become 
our surety. For eternal justice to have seized upon 
any innocent victim and led him forth a reluctant suf- 
ferer in the room and stead of others would have been 
a procedure, which we could never justify. The Spirit 
of God, knowing how this point would come up before 
our minds, has mercifully and completely relieved all 
our apprehensions on the subject. By the Psalmist 
he declares in the name of Christ, " Lo, I come, I de- 
light to do thy will, my God." And in the Gospel 
we are informed by Christ himself that his sufferings 
were voluntary. His words are : ^' I lay down my 
life that I might take it again. No man taketh it 
from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power 
to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." 
John X. 17, 18. If in any sense Christ was constrained 
to suffer for us, it was only by his amazing love and 
mercy to the lost. 

3. Or if the satisfaction rendered, or to be rendered, 
had fallen short of what might justly have been re- 
quired by the law of God, or by the good of his domin- 
ions, this would have been an objection to Christ's 
mediation. If Christ's interposition was in any way 
to diminish the due force of law, or the just power of 
government in any province of God's empire ; if, in 
short, it could be fairly construed as a relaxation of 
moral obligation, a concession to iniquity, then indeed 
there would have been a valid objection to Christ's 
undertaking. But the Son of God gave for man's re- 
demption as heavy a ransom as justice, law, the con- 



AND NO REDEEMER BUT CHRIST. 149 

science of man, the judgment of angels, or the infinite 
holiness of God demanded. He paid the full price. 
He drank the cup of bitterness even to the dregs 
thereof. He magnified the law and made it honour- 
able. God's abhorrence of sin is more clearly ex- 
pressed in the cross of Christ, than in the flames of 
hell. Even the most tender and enlightened con- 
science of the most guilty man says of Christ's satis- 
faction, whenever it is divinely revealed, " This is 
enough — I ask no more — I end my quest of atonement 
here." 

13^ 



CHAPTER XX. 



THE CONSTITUTION OF CHEIST S PERSON. — HIS GRACE 
THEREIN. 

Nothing in the Christian religion has been the sub- 
ject of so much error as the person of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Some have denied that he was God. Some 
have said that he was a created God. Some have 
denied that he had a true body, and some that he had 
a reasonable created soul. Some have held that he had 
two persons, and some that one of his natures absorbed 
the other. The apostles were not all dead when Ebion 
and Cerinthus denied our Lord's divinity. To coun- 
teract their dangerous opinions John wrote his Gospel. 
Their error was revived, though in a form somewhat 
varied, by Arius and his followers in the fourth cen- 
tury, by the Socinians of the seventeenth century, and 
by still more modern Unitarians. Most of these per- 
haps have held simply to Christ's humanity. 

Some, however, have spoken of our Lord as a created 
God. Duly considered, this must appear absurd. 
The greatest gulf in the universe is that Avhich sepa- 
rates the finite from the infinite, the creature from the 
Creator. A God, not self-existent, eternal, indepen- 
dent and unchangeable, is no God. He, who has these 
attributes, is the supreme God. The Manichsaans denied 
that Christ had a true body. Consistency compelled 
them to deny his death. Others have held that the 
(150) 



THE CONSTITUTION OF CHRIST'S PERSON. 151 

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were one person, became 
incarnate and suflfered on the cross. Indeed the forms 
of error on this whole subject have been almost count- 
less. The enmity of the human heart against God has 
brought all its strength, violence and ingenuity to 
destroy the corner-stone, or to remove it out of our 
sight. What then is the truth on this subject ? 

I. Jesus Christ had and has a divine nature. He 
was truly God. He is expressly called " God," " God 
and our Saviour Jesus Christ," " The great God and 
our Saviour Jesus Christ," "the Lord their God," 
"the true God and eternal life," "Emmanuel, God 
with us," "Jehovah," "Lord of hosts," "Lord of 
lords," "King of kings," "the mighty God," "the 
everlasting Father." That he existed before his incar- 
nation it requires great boldness to deny. He often 
asserts this truth. "Before Abraham was I am." 
"And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own 
self with the glory which I had with thee before the 
world was." " I came down from heaven." "What 
if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was 
before." John vi. 38, 62 ; viii. 58 ; xvii. 5. Paul 
says: "He is before all things." Col. i. 17. These 
texts clearly prove two things : 1. that Christ existed 
before he was born in the days of Herod. But as his 
human nature then had its beginning, it must have 
been in some other nature that he was before Abraham, 
and had glory with the Father before the world was ; 
and 2. that if he was before all things, he had an un- 
caused existence, and so was God. 

Christ was also the Creator of all things. "All 
things were made by him, and without him was not 
anything made that was made/' John i. 3. " Thou, 



152 THE CONSTITUTION OF* CHRIST'S PERSON. 

Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the 
earthj and the heavens are the work of thy hands." 
Heb. i. 10. The Maker of all things, of the heaven 
and of the earth, is God. There is none above him, 
none more worthy of love and fear. Paul says, that 
he, " being in the form of God, thought it not robbery 
to be equal with God.'' Phil. ii. 6. The only thing 
which could hinder such a claim from being the most 
daring robbery was that it was well founded, and that 
he was God. In Rev. i. 8, he gives this account of 
himself: " I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and 
the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and 
which is to come, the Almighty." Is not that being 
God? 

In 1 Tim. iii. 16, Paul says, '' God was manifest in 
the flesh." But God was not manifest in the flesh, 
unless he was there in the person of him who took 
our flesh. If any should say that the meaning simply 
is that virtue, which is conformity to God, was manifest 
in the flesh of Christ, the reply is at hand ; 1. There 
is not a word said about virtue in the text or context. 
The words are " God was manifest ;" 2. Where would 
be the propriety of calling virtue a great mystery ? 
Paul says, " Great is the mystery of godliness. God 
was manifest," &c. 3. This interpretation ill suits the 
residue of the passage : " He was justified in the Spirit, 
seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on 
in the world, received up into glory." 

To Christ belongs also the work of universal provi- 
dence. " By him all things consist," and "he uphold- 
eth all things by the word of his power." Col. i. 17. 
Heb. i. 3. Can it be possible that a mere creature 
can do such things ? What can Jehovah do in provi- 



HIS GRACE THEREIN. 153 

dence to evince his proper divinity more than to uphold 
all things by his powerful word ? 

Christ is also omniscient. He knows what is in man. 
John ii. 24, 25. He searches the heart and tries the 
reins. Rev. ii. 23. In short, let any man prove by 
any scriptural course of argument the divinity of the 
rather, and by the same process can we establish the 
divinity of the Son. Is the Father almighty and so 
divine ? So is the Son, Rev. i. 8. Is it a prerogative 
of the supreme God to forgive sins ? Jesus Christ for- 
gives sins. Matt. ix. 2 — 6. Is the supreme God 
every where present ? So is Christ. ^'Lo, I am with 
you always, even unto the end of the world.'' " Where 
two or three are gathered together in my name there 
am I in the midst of them." Matt, xviii. 20 ; xxviii, 
20. If the divinity and supremacy of Jehovah w^ere 
proven by the miracles in Egypt and the wilderness, 
the divinity and supremacy of Christ were proven by 
the miracles in Palestine. They were many ; (John 
xxi. 25,) were wrought for his own glory; (Johnii. 11,) 
were of a stupendous nature ; (John ix. 30 — 33,) and 
were all wrought in his own name, and not in the name 
of some other person. See every account. Is the 
Father worshipped by all the holy angels ? So is the 
Son. " When he bringeth the first-begotten into the 
world, he saith. And let all the angels of God worship 
him." Ileb. i. 5. Did David devoutly say of Jeho- 
vah, ''Thou art my God?" Thomas addressed Jesus, 
saying, " My Lord and my God." John xx. 28. Is 
the Father now^ worshipped in heaven ? So is the Son. 
Rev-. V. 12 — 14. So that Jesus Christ is in his pre- 
existent nature God, the true God, equal with the 
Father. Our Saviour is truly divine. 



154 THE CONSTITUTION OF CimiST'S PERSON/ 

II. Christ is as to his created nature truly and 
properly a man. He had entire humanity, as fully as 
Moses, Paul, or any other man. In proof inspired 
•writers call him a man. " A man shall be as an liidiug- 
place," "A man approved of God," ''A man of sor- 
rows," " There is one God and one Mediator, the man 
Christ Jesus." He is often called the Son of Man. 
This phrase teaches his humanity. Thus we read: 
" The Son of Man hath power to forgive sins," " The 
Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day," " Now 
is the Son of Man glorified.'^ The objection of some 
that he was not truly a man, because he had no father 
according to the flesh is of no force, for 1. he derived 
his human nature from his mother, and was made of 
her substance as much as any child derives its nature 
from its parents. 2. If it is essential to humanity 
entire and complete, that it be derived from a pair, 
then Eve, the mother of all living, was not a human 
being, for she derived her nature through Adam alone. 
3. By parity of reasoning, yea, by still stronger reason- 
ing, Adam was not a human being, for he had neither 
father nor mother. Such are some of the conclusions 
to which this objection would lead us. 

Christ's humanity is also proved by many plain 
texts of Scripture. " He was made in the likeness of 
men," "He was found in fashion as a man,'^ "His 
visage was so marred more than any man.'^ He had 
eyes, and saw the beauties of nature, even of the lilies 
of the field. He had ears, and heard the words of 
friends and of foes. He had all the senses of a man. 
He ate, he drank, he slept, he awaked, he walked, he 
rested, he was weary, he was hungry, was thirsty, he 
■was handled, was bound, was scourged, was smitten, 



ins GRACE THEREIN. 155 

was spit upon, was crowned with thorns, and crucified. 
He was born, he wept, he bled, he died, he was dead. 
Prophecy promised him a body ; (Heb. x. 5, and Psal. 
xl. 6 — 8,) and Providence gave him a body. 

Jesus Christ had a soul also, a human soul, a true 
rational soul. The proof is that he had sentiments of 
joy and sorrow, of indignation and grief, of compas- 
sion and pity, of hope and fear. He had the mental 
trials and sorrows of men. " He was tempted in all 
points like as we are.'* As a son and as a friend none 
ever more clearly showed that he had true human affec- 
tions. As he had the body and affections, so also he 
had the intellect of man. He grew from infancy to 
manhood, not only in stature but in the strength and 
scope of his faculties, as other children do, except 
that he had better religious teaching than many, and 
far more abundant influences of the Spirit than all other 
children. He had the Spirit without measure. So 
that his growth in holy wisdom was extraordinary and 
unparalleled. That he had a human mind is as clear as 
that he had a human body ; and that he had both is as 
certain as that any other person ever had them. To 
suppose the contrary is to charge him with imposture, 
and this is blasphemy. If Christ were not man, how 
could he be a descendant of Eve ; (Gen. iii. 15,) or of 
Abraham (Gen. xxii. 18,) or of David, as was often 
promised ? or why did Matthew and Luke in their 
Gospels give the genealogy of our Lord, if they did 
not intend to teach that he derived his human nature 
through a long line of ancestors from Abraham and 
from Adam ? 

Some would lead us to suppose that Christ had no 
human soul, but that he merely had a human body, 



156 THE CONSTITUTIOlSr OF CHRIST'S PERSON.' 

inhabited by his heavenly or pre-existent nature, and 
in proof they quote such expressions as these : " God 
was manifest in the fleshy'' and " The word was made 
flesh,'' They contend that the word, fleshy includes 
the body only. If this is so, their objection has force. 
Let us see what the truth is. Admitting that the pri- 
mary meaning of the word was that of the body, yet 
this was far from being its usual signification. By 
flesh Paul understands the depraved moral nature of 
man : '' They that are in the flesh cannot please God.'' 
The word is often applied to men, as men, so that in 
the following cases, ''all flesh" simply means "all 
men :" "All flesh had corrupted his way ;" " Unto thee 
shall all flesh come;-'' "Let all flesh bless his holy 
name for ever and ever;" " All flesh shall see the sal- 
vation of God." Paul therefore intends to teach that 
" God was ma,nifest in the" man^ Christ Jesus. John 
in saying ''the Word was made flesh," &c., teaches that 
the Word, which was God, became man, not by the 
conversion of the divine into the human nature, but by 
uniting the two. Has it not therefore been shown that 
Christ had a true, proper, entire human nature, a true 
body and a reasonable soul ? 

III. The divine and human natures of Christ are 
united in one person ; so that it is proper to speak of 
the Lord Jesus in the singular number, and not in the 
plural. When we address him we say, " thou," and 
not ye. AVhen we speak of him we say, " he, his, 
him," not they, theirs, them. When Christ spoke of 
himself, both before and after his death and ascension, 
he said, "I, mine, me," not we, ours, us. There is 
but one Christ. He is a Lamb, a Priest, a King, a 
Shepherd, a Saviour, a Mediator, a Surety. Though 
he has two natures, the human and the divine, yet he 



niS GRACE THEREIN. 157 

is but one person, one Redeemer, one Mediator. His 
human and divine natures are distinct, not separate ; 
distinguishable, not separable. 

His two natui-es became one person, not by his 
human nature seeking to be affianced to his divine 
nature, but by his divine nature seeking union with the 
human. For the human nature to have sought union 
with divinity would have been blameworthy ambition. 
For the divine nature to seek union with the human 
was great condescension, unspeakable love. Besides, 
Christ's human nature never existed separately from 
the divine. The union was formed at his conception 
in the womb of the virgin. The divine nature existed 
separately from the human nature, and prior to it, and 
sought union with it, and assumed it into indissoluble 
union. So the Scriptures do not say that flesh was 
made the Word, but that " the Word was made flesh," 
nor that the flesh was made manifest in God, but that 
" God was made manifest in the flesh." Human nature 
did not assume divinity ; but the divine nature assumed 
humanity. So the Scriptures say that " being in the 
form of God, he thought it not robbery to be equal 
with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took 
upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the 
likeness of men." He was first rich in all the attri- 
butes and glories of Divinity, and by taking a body he 
became poor, for our good, out of love to us. Here is 
indeed a wonder, a very marvellous thing, but in it 
nothing is so marvellous as the love and mercy which it 
reveals ; love and mercy so great that none but the 
wicked reject them ; love and mercy so great that eveia 
angels do not comprehend them. Here is the light of 
men, the life of the world. 
14 



158 THE CONSTITUTION OF CIIKIST'S PERSON. 

In this union the natures of Christ are not confused, 
compounded, or converted one into the other, or absorbed 
one by the other. His body was and is a true human 
body, not mixed with his soul or divinity, nor converted 
into them, yet it is for ever united with both. His 
human soul is as truly a human soul as that of Enoch 
or Abraham, and will for ever so remain. It is not 
absorbed by his divinity, nor mingled with it, but 
united with it. So that Christ is the " God-man," 
possessing at once and henceforth for ever the image 
of the invisible God and the likeness of men. Thus is 
constituted the person of our one Lord Jesus Christ, 
our one Mediator. This is the Bible doctrine on the 
subject. His conception and birth were miraculous, 
so that he was born free from the guilt and defilement 
of original sin. Accordingly Gabriel said unto Mary: 
"that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be 
called the Son of God.'' He was and is in his entire 
nature holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from 
sinners. 

This view of his person gives us the key, by which 
to unlock the mystery of any text of Scripture relating 
to that subject. Thus when it is said, he thirsted, he 
walked, he slept, he ate, the reference is to his body. 
After his resurrection he said " handle me and see, for 
a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.'* 
Surely he thus intended to convince them of the truth 
and reality of his body. There was no deception in 
the case. Both before his death and after his resur- 
rection he gave infallible proof of his having a body. 
There is no absurdity or contradiction here. Corpo- 
really he did as other men do. 

Another class of texts relates to his human soul. 



HIS GRACE THEREIN. 15'J 

Thus It is said, "He rejoiced in spirit," "he was 
grieved for the hardness of their hearts," " he began 
to be sorrowful and very heavy." All these are the 
acts and exercises of his reasonable human soul, and 
are in themselves no more inscrutable than the same 
things said of any other man. 

Sometimes the Scriptures speak of his entire human 
nature, soul and body, in the same verse. Thus : 
" The child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with 
wisdom.'' Again: "Jesus increased in wisdom and 
stature, and in favour with God and man." There is 
nothing more mysterious in this than if the same bad 
been said of any other healthy, pious, amiable child. 
Again: "He beheld the city and wept over it." Be- 
holding and weeping were bodily acts. But shedding 
tears, accompanied by his lament over the city, showed 
that his whole human nature, soul and body, was united, 
his soul being moved by prophetic visions and heavenly 
compassions, and his body agitated by his thoughts and 
pure affections. This is all plain. Thus we all speak 
and weep, when we think strongly and feel exquisitely. 

Again we read, " in the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 
All things were made by him, and without him was 
not anything made that was made." This plainly and 
clearly belongs to his divine nature alone. His human 
nature was not in the begmning with God, and had no 
part in the work of creation. 

But " the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, 
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only be- 
gotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." " God 
was manifest in the flesh." Thus the person of the 
Mediator was constituted. He was found in fashion 



160 THE CONSTITUTION OF CHRIST'S PERSON. 

as a man. He was made a little lower than the angels. 
He humbled himself and became obedient unto death. 
It is of himself as the Mediator and in a low condition 
that he says, " The Father is greater than I." But 
lest this language should mislead any one, and cause 
them to think that in his divine nature he was inferior 
to the Father, he said, " I and the Father are one," 
"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.'^ 
To him as Mediator in his exaltation " all power is 
given in heaven and earth ;'' "All judgment is com- 
mitted." By his divine nature and by divine right he 
was fit to be judge of the world ; but he who was 
pierced shall be on the throne. The entire person of 
the Mediator, the man Christ Jesus, shall judge the 
world. Thus and thus only every text referring to him 
has a full, fair, plain, consistent sense given to it. 

This union of the two natures in Christ is most 
intimate. No union could be more perfect. If the 
term, one person, can be properly applied to any being 
in the universe, that being is Christ Jesus, the Lord. 
So the Scriptures uniformly teach by speaking of him 
always in the singular. So perfect is this union, that 
although his divine nature, because divine, could nei- 
ther suffer nor die, yet we properly speak of him as a 
divine sufferer. Paul calls his blood the blood of God. 
" Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased 
with his own blood." The same person is God and 
man for ever. If any say this is a great mystery, the 
Bible said the same long ago : " Great is the mystery 
of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh." Any- 
thing, which we do not comprehend, is mysterious. 
But because a thing is incomprehensible, it is not 
therefore absurd or false. No man comprehends how 



HIS GRACE TnEREIN. 161 

his soul and body are united ; yet no sober man doubts 
their union. No man knows how an animal frame is 
nourished by food, yet we all know the fact. How the 
human will can in any case control the muscles of the 
body is inexplicable, yet the fact is indisputable. 
Mysteriousness, so far from disproving a fact, is a 
property of every fact known to us. Our Lord Jesus 
undertook the greatest work ever devised, viz., to re- 
concile God and man. In doing this none but shallow 
thinkers will expect everything to be level to their 
comprehension, and none but the unbelieving and 
abominable will reject his grace, because they discover 
a mystery in the constitution of his person. 

The Westminster Assembly thus expresses the whole 
doctrine of this chapter. '' The Son of God, the 
second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal 
God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, 
when the fulness of time was come, take upon him 
man's nature, and all the essential properties and com- 
mon infirmities thereof, yet without sin : being con- 
ceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb 
of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two 
whole, perfect, distinct natures, the Godhead and the 
manhood, were inseparably joined together in one per- 
son, without conversion, composition or confusion. 
Which person is very God and very man, yet one 
Christ, the only Mediator between God and man." 

Without giving extended quotations from symbols 

of faith on this head, it is deemed suificient to say 

that the doctrine of this chapter is not controverted 

in any but Arian, Socinian or Unitarian churches. It 

is thought, however, that the following extract from the 

Confession of Belgia may be useful to some : " We 
14^ 



162 THE CONSTITUTION OF CHKIST'S PERSON. 

believe also, that the person of the Son [he had just 
been called God's only and eternal Son] was, by his 
conception, inseparably united and coupled with the 
human nature ; yet so that there be not two Sons of 
God, nor two persons, but two natures joined together 
in one person ; both which natures do still retain their 
own properties. So that, as the divine nature hath 
remained always uncreated, without beginning of days 
or term of life, filling both heaven and earth ; so the 
human nature hath not lost its properties, but hath 
remained still a creature, having both beginning of 
days and a finite nature. For whatsoever doth agree 
unto a true body, that it still retaineth : and although 
Christ, by his resurrection, hath bestowed immortality 
upon it, yet notwithstanding, he hath neither taken 
away the truth of the human nature, nor altered it. 
For both our salvation, and also our resurrection 
depend upon the truth of Christ's body. Yet these 
two natures are so united and coupled in one person, that 
they could not, no not in his death, be separated one 
from the other. Wherefore that, which in his death he 
commended unto his Father, was indeed a human spirit, 
departing out of his body ; but in the mean time, the 
divine nature did always remain joined to the human, 
even then when he lay in the grave ; so that his Deity 
was no less in him at that time, than when as yet he 
was an infant, although for a small season it did not show 
forth itself. Wherefore, we confess that he is true God, 
and true man ; true God, that by his power he might 
overcome death ; and true man, that in the infirmity 
of his flesh he might die for us." 

Let us dwell a moment on the grace and mercy of 
Christ in the constitution of his person. Duly con- 



HIS GRACE THEREIN. 163 

sidered his incarnation Is the most amazing step In his 
humiliation. His first becoming a man is more surpris- 
ing than his sufferings and death after he became man. 
Having assumed our nature, we should expect that ho 
would submit to all else necessary for our deliverance. 
But the marvel is that he should have ever married our 
nature. Here is the mystery of mysteries, the wonder 
of wonders. The conduct of the heavenly host at his 
birth seems to justify such views as this. Many things 
in Scripture look the same way. The following is but 
a sample of the way in which inspired men treat the 
whole subject of his humiliation : " Ye know the grace 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet 
for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his 
poverty might be rich.'' In his incarnation the Son of 
God stooped to a union with the lowest intelligent na- 
ture, and that nature all in ruin and rebellion. In 
dying it was the human nature alone that suffered. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

THE WORK AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. — HIS ACTIVE 
AND PASSIVE OBEDIENCE. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ became incarnate, was made 
under the law, lived, acted, obeyed, suffered, died and 
rose again for his people. He came down to earth 
that they might go up to heaven. He suffered that 
they might reign. He became a servant that they 
might become kings and priests unto God. He died 
that they might live. He bore the cross that their 
enmity might be slain, and their sins expiated. He 
loved them that they might love God. He was rich 
and became poor that they, who were poor, might be 
made rich. He descended into the lower parts of the 
earth that they might sit in heavenly places. He 
emptied himself that they might be filled with all the 
fulness of God. He took upon him human nature that 
they might be partakers of the divine nature. Ho 
made flesh his dwelling place that they might be an 
habitation of God through the Spirit. He made him- 
self of no reputation, that they might wear his new 
name, and be counted an eternal excellency. He be- 
came a worm, and no man, that they, who were sinful 
worms, might be made equal to the angels. He bore 
the curse of a broken covenant that they might par- 
take of all the blessings of the everlasting covenant, 
ordered in all things and sure. Though heir of all 
(164) 



THE WORK AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. 105 

things, he was willingly despised of the people, that 
they, who were justly condemned, might obtain an 
inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that 
fadetli not away. His death was a satisfaction to 
divine justice, a ransom for many, a propitiation for 
sin, a sweet smelling savour to God, that we, who 
were an offence to God, might become his sons and 
daughters. He was made sin for his people that they 
might be made the righteousness of God in him. 
Though Lord of all he took the form of a servant, that 
they, who were the servants of sin, might prevail like 
princes with God. He, who had made swaddling- 
bands for the sea, was wrapped in swaddling-clothes 
that they, who were cast out in their blood, might be 
clothed in linen white and clean, which is the right- 
eousness of saints. He had not where to lay his head 
that they who otherwise must have lain down in eter- 
nal sorrow, might reach the mansions in his Father's 
house. He was beset with lions and bulls of Bashan, 
that his chosen might be compassed about with an in- 
numerable company of angels and of the spirits of just 
men made perfect. He drank the cup of God's indig- 
nation that they might for ever drink of the river of 
his pleasures. He hungered that they might eat the 
bread of life. He thirsted that they might drink the 
water of life. He was numbered with the transgressors 
that they might stand among the justified, and be 
counted among his jewels. He made his grave with 
the wicked that they might sleep in Jesus. Though 
he was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or 
ever the earth was, yet he became a helpless infant, 
that creatures of yesterday, sentenced to death, might 
live for ever. He wore a crown of thorns that all, 



166 THE WORK AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. 

"wlio love his appearing, might wear a crown of life. 
He wept tears of anguish that his elect might weep 
tears of repentance not to be repented of. He bore 
the yoke of obedience unto death that they might find 
his yoke easy and his burden light. He poured out 
his soul unto death, lay three days in the heart of the 
earth, then burst the bars of death, and arose to God, 
that they, who through fear of death were all their life- 
time subject to bondage, might obtain the victory over 
the grave and become partakers of his resurrection. 

He exhausted the penalty of the law that his re- 
deemed might have access to the inexhaustible trea- 
sures of mercy, wisdom, faithfulness, truth and grace 
promised by the Lord. He passed from humiliation 
to humiliation, till he reached the sepulchre of Joseph, 
that his people might be changed from glory to glory 
as by the Spirit of the Lord. He was matchless in 
grace that they might be matchless in gratitude. 
Though a Son, he became a voluntary exile, that they, 
who had wickedly wandered afar off, might be brought 
nigh by his blood. He was compassed about with all 
their innocent infirmities that he might perfect his 
strength in their weakness. His visage was so marred 
more than any man, that his ransomed might be pre- 
sented before God without spot, or blemish, or wrinkle, 
or any such thing. For a time he was forsaken of his 
Father that they, whom he bought Avith his blood, 
might behold the light of God's countenance for ever. 
He came and dwelt with them that they might be for 
ever with the Lord. He was hung up naked before 
his insulting foes that all, who believe on his name, 
might wear a glorious wedding garment, a spotless 
righteousness. Though he was dead, he is the first- 



HIS ACTIVE AND PASSIVE OBEDIENCE. 1G7 

born among many brethren. Through his sorrow his 
people obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing 
flee away. Though he endured the worst things, they 
do and shall for ever enjoy the best things. Wonder- 
ful mystery ! God was manifest in the flesh ! Here 
is no absurdity, no contradiction, no fiction, and yet a 
mystery that baflles all attempts to solve it, and dazzles 
all human and angelic vision. Blessed is he, who is 
not ofi^ended in Jesus. Blessed is he, who loves the 
incarnate mystery, and rests upon it. It is a mystery 
of love, of truth, of grace, of wisdom, of condescen- 
sion, of power, of salvation. It is the mystery of Grod- 
liness. It is the great study of the inhabitants of 
heaven, and shall be while immortality endures. 

If it be allowed to take these statements in a gene- 
ral and vague sense, most persons, who are willing to 
be called evangelical, will at least assent to them. 
But let us consider more particularly the work and the 
sufferings of our Lord, what he did, and what he en- 
dured, his obedience to law, and his submission to pain. 
It is true these things were not separated in him ; but 
it is true that they can be distinguished. Some igno- 
rant persons have seemed to suppose that orthodox 
Christians held that Christ obeyed one day or hour 
and suffered another. This is not the teaching of any. 
Christ was from his birth to his death a sufferer. He 
was also a servant to do the will of God. He obeyed 
in suffering. He suffered in obeying. His obedience 
to the precept and his endurance of the penalty of the 
law ran parallel to each other. Sound divines have 
therefore commonly spoken of Christ's active and 
passive obedience as comprehending the whole of his 
work on earth. His active obedience was rendered to 



168 THE WORK AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. 

the moral law as a rule of life. His passive obedience 
was his voluntary submission to the penal sufferings 
provided by the law for the transgressors of its holy 
commandments. Although a few good men have not 
favoured this formal distinction, yet the great body of 
sound writers have approved it. Nor is there any ob- 
jection to it, if correctly understood. And until a 
better mode of explaining the mediatorial work of 
Christ on earth shall be suggested, let the friends of 
truth hold fast to the established language of sound 
divinity. It is remarkable that modern writers, who 
oppose the use of these phrases almost without excep- 
tion are very erroneous on other points. If a man de- 
nies that Christ obeyed the precept of the law for us, 
it is almost certain that he will deny that he bore the 
curse or penalty of the law in our stead. Nor is it 
known that any sound writer has ever rejected the 
doctrine, which sober divines have always understood 
to be involved in the active and passive obedience of 
Christ. 

Thus Owen says : '' I shall not immix myself in the 
debate of the distinction between the active and passive 
obedience of Christ." This might startle some. But 
the fact is that some writers in his day had tediously 
dwelt upon the distinction, and had probably conveyed 
the idea that Christ's active and passive obedience 
were not only distinguishable but separable. But 
Owen instantly relieves our minds. His next words 
are : " For he exercised the highest active obedience 
in his suffering, when he offered himself to God, through 
the eternal Spirit. And all his obedience, considering 
his person, was mixed with suffering, as a part of his 
ex-inanition [emptying himself J and humiliation ; 



HIS ACTIVE AND PASSIVE OBEDIENCE. 1G9 

whence it is said, that ' though he were a Son, yet 
learned he obedience by the things that he suffered/ " 
Such an explanation instantly given by the author 
himself relieves all our concern for his statement ; espe- 
cially when in the same and preceding chapter he 
speaks thus : " There is no other way whereby the 
original, immutable law of God may be established, 
and fulfilled with respect unto us, but by the imputa- 
tion of the perfect obedience and righteousness of 
Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness unto 
all that do believe." Indeed he enters into a formal 
argument in defence of " the imputation of the active 
obedience or righteousness of Christ unto us, as an 
essential part of that righteousness whereon we are 
justified before God." His words are: ''If it were 
necessary that the Lord Christ, as our surety should 
undergo the penalty of the law for us, or in our stead, 
because we all have sinned; then it was necessary 
also, that as our surety he should yield obedience unto 
the preceptive part of the law for us also : and if the 
imputation of the former be needful for us unto our 
justification before God, then is the imputation of the 
latter also necessary unto the same end and purpose." 
"And as we are no more able of ourselves to fulfil the 
law, in a way of obedience, than to undergo the penalty 
of it, so as that we may be justified thereby ; so no 
reason can be given, why God is not as much con- 
cerned in honour and glory, that the preceptive power 
and part of the law be complied withal, by perfect 
obedience, as that the sanction of it be established by 
undergoing the penalty of it." Very much more he 
says to the same purport. Indeed he alleges that in 
this matter " our principal difi*erence is with the Soci- 
15 



no TKE y/ORK AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. 

nians," and he states and refutes their answers at 
length. In truth Socinus and his followers exhausted 
all the arguments that could be brought against 
Christ's complete satisfaction. Owen having made 
a long quotation from that dangerous heretic on this 
subject adds : ^' I have transcribed his words, that it 
may appear with whose weapons some young disputers, 
among ourselves, do contend against the truth." This 
remark is as applicable to errorists in the middle of 
the nineteenth century as it was to their predecessors 
two hundred years ago. The same is true of the fol- 
lowing remark : " There is nothing in the whole doc- 
trine of justification, which meets with a more fierce 
and various opposition." 

That Charnock held the same doctrine is very clear ; 
for in extolling the work of the Mediator, he thus 
dwells on '' His obedience to his Father. It is a signal 
testimony given him, that he was obedient even to the 
death of the cross. Phil. ii. 8. The sharper then his 
circumstances were upon the cross, the more illustrious 
his obedience was. The lustre of obedience is seen in 
engaging upon command with the most affrighting dif- 
ficulties." He subsequently dwells at length on the 
sufferings of Christ. 

Archbishop Leighton speaking on 1 Cor. i. 30, " he 
is made of God unto us righteousness," &c., says: 
" This doubtless is meant of the righteousness by which 
w^e are justified before God ; and as he is made this to 
^cSj applied by faith, his righteousness becomes ours. 
That exchange made, our sins are laid over on him, 
and his obedience put upon us." 

The Rev. Thomas Boston says that Christ's obedi- 
ence to the law for his people included " these three 



HIS ACTIVE AND PASSIVE OBEDIENCE. 171 

things following: 1. 'That he, as the second Adam, 
should obey the whole law, in the name of those he 
represented/ This was a debt owing by them all, and 
was required of them, by the law, as a condition of 
life." "It was provided, that Christ, as their repre- 
sentative, should give obedience to the whole law for 
them ; that both tables of the law, and each command 
of each table, should have the due obedience from him ; 
that the law being laid before him, in its spirituality 
and full extent, he should fully answer it, in internal 
and external obedience, in his mind, will and affections, 
in thought, word and deed : that he should conform 
himself to the whole natural law, and to all divine in- 
stitutions, ceremonial or political, so as to be circum- 
cised, keep the passover, to be baptized, to be a ser- 
vant or subject to rulers, pay tribute to whom it was 
due, and the like." [In fact the very reason Christ 
gave for being baptized was that '' thus it becometh 
us to fulfil all righteousness."] 

2. " That every part of that obedience should be 
carried to the highest pitch and degree. This the law 
required of them, as a condition of life. 

"Lastly, that all this should be continued to the 
end, without the least failure in one jot of parts, or 
degrees of obedience. This also was a condition of 
life." * * It was agreed that the second Adam should, 
in the name of those he represented, ' continue in all 
things, written in the book of the law to do them' even 
to the end. All which he did accordingly fulfil, being 
* obedient unto death.' " Phil. ii. 8. 

Ridgley says : " Satisfaction must bear some simili- 
tude, or resemblance, as to the matter of it, to that 
debt which was due from those for whom it was to be 



172 THE WORK AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. 

given. Here we must consider what was the debt due 
from us, for which a demand of satisfaction was made ; 
this was twofold. 

" 1st. A debt of perfect and sinless obedience, whereby 
the glory of God's sovereignty might be secured, and 
the honour of his law maintained. This debt it was 
morally impossible for man to pay, after his fall ; for 
it implies a contradiction to say that a fallen creature 
can yield a sinless obedience ; nevertheless it was de- 
manded of us, though fallen ; for the obligation could 
not be disannulled by our disability to perform it. 

"2dly. There was a debt of punishment, which we 
were liable to, in proportion to the demerit of sin, as 
the result of the condemning sentence of the law, 
which threatened death for every transgression and 
disobedience. Now, to be satisfaction to the justice 
of God, it must have these ingredients in it." 

Dr. A. Alexander says : " By the righteousness of 
Christ, we mean all that he did and suflfered to satisfy 
the broken law of God, for those whose salvation he 
undertook to secure. It has been shown that the law 
has a double demand upon us, both of which must be 
satisfied before a sentence of justification can right- 
eously be pronounced." The "double demand" here 
spoken of is explained to be obedience to the precept, 
and endurance of the penalty of the law. 

Indeed so precious is the doctrine of the full and 
perfect obedience of Christ, both in doing and suffer- 
ing^ in meeting the demands of both the precept and 
the penalty of the law, that in experience no enlight- 
ened mind can rest satisfied until it is assured of the 
truth of the positions here maintained. Some indeed 
object and say Christ's obedience to the precept of 



niS ACTIVE AND PASSIVE OBEDIENCE. 173 

the law was due from liim for himself, his human na- 
ture being under natural and indissoluble obligations 
to holiness. It is indeed true that Christ's human na- 
ture was bound for itself after being in existence to 
obey the law. And so was Adam in the garden of 
Eden. Yet if he had stood faithful to the end of his 
probation, his obedience would have been counted not 
only for himself but for us also. So the obedience of 
Christ not only caused the Father to say " This is my 
beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,'' but also for 
his sake to promise eternal life to as many as are found 
in him, clothed with his righteousness. Besides the 
person of the Mediator was constituted of a divine and 
a human nature. In his divine nature he was the law- 
giver, the Lord of the Sabbath day, and the King uni- 
versal. This gave to his obedience both to the pre- 
cept and penalty of the law, a value transcending all 
our conceptions of merit as obtained even by angels 
who never sinned. 

This is the very doctrine of the Scriptures. The 
reader has already had the interpretation of Charnock 
and Boston of the phrase ''obedient unto death." 
Phil. ii. 8. Ridgley interprets the phrase the same 
way, viz : to signify Christ's active obedience, even in 
dying. That this is the correct mode of interpreting 
the text has long been held by the Church of God. 
The same doctrine is clearly taught by Paul in Rom. 
V. 12 — 19. There our justification is clearly stated 
to be " by the obedience of one," by the righteousness 
of one." To say that "obedience" and "righteous- 
ness" mean death, and death only is taking such a 
liberty with terms as, if carried out, will enable us to 
subvert every truth of Scripture, every record of his- 
15^ 



174 THE WORK AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST.' 

tory. If Christ's ^'obedience,'' in Romans v. has any 
meaning, it is the opposite of Adam's " disobedience." 
Christ's "righteousness" is the opposite of Adam's 
"offence." If Christ's obedience means simply his 
death, then Adam's disobedience means simply his 
life. If Christ's righteousness includes nothing but 
his suffering on the cross, Adam's offence must be that 
he did not suffer for us. In fine, no more unwarrant- 
able liberties are taken with God's word than by the 
enemies of the doctrine of Christ's active obedience. 
In Gal. iv. 4, 5, Paul says : " God sent forth his Son, 
made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem 
them that were under the law." A law consists of 
two parts ; 1. a precept, a rule to be followed, a canon ; 
and 2. a sanction, a penalty for the transgressor. 
Now, was Jesus Christ made under the precept only, 
or the penalty only ? One errorist will perhaps say 
one thing, and another a different thing. Some very 
bold heretics will deny that he was placed either 
tinder the precept or the penalty for us ; but from the 
days of Paul to the present the Church of God has 
held that Christ was made under both the precept and 
the penalty of the law for us. Indeed it is well worthy 
of notice that as error never stops of its own accord, 
as its nature is to sink lower and lower, so it is very 
common, yea, almost universal to find those, who ob- 
ject to Christ's active obedience soon subverting all 
his righteousness, and even denying that he bore the 
penalty of the law for us, and contending that even 
his death was but a show of what God could do when 
he chose to express his indignation against his well 
beloved Son. But of Christ's death, and the atone- 
ment thereby made the next chapter will treat. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



THE DEATH OF CHRIST. — THE ATONEMENT. 

When we speak of the cross and death of Christ, 
we intend to set forth all his expiatory work. Christ's 
sufferings did not begin at the time of his crucifixion. 
Nor were his last sufferings alone possessed of value. 
The flight into Egypt no less than the nailing to the 
cross, the hunger and subsequent temptation in the 
wilderness no less than the thirst upon the cross, be- 
longed to the sum of those things, which he endured 
for others. From most men the time and manner of 
their death are mercifully concealed until they are about 
to leave the world. But the Lord Jesus knew the end 
from the beginning. He had all the revolting circum- 
stances distinctly before his mind for long years be- 
fore his crucifixion. His life was as a death. He 
died as it were a thousand times. No words nor acts 
of our blessed Lord convey more just conceptions of ^ 
the anguish he endured than that saying of his spoken 
long before his betrayal: ^'I have a baptism to be 
baptized with ; and how am I straitened till it be ac- 
complished." Luke xii. 50. Here is one secret of the 
sorrows of his life. I marvel not that his visage was 
so marred more than any man, and his form more than 
the sons of men. No sorrows were ever so keen, so 
consuming, and so long continued as his. Well may 
we blush to have made an ado over the comparatively 

(175) 



176 THE DEATH OF CHRIST. 

little ills, to which our sins, or our sense of duty may 
at any time have subjected us. 

Yet the actual death of Christ was necessary. If it 
had not been, it would not have occurred. The modes 
of bringing Christ's mediatorial work on earth into 
disesteem are countless. Some, using great swelling 
words, have said that his death was unnecessary, and 
that one drop of his blood was sufficient to all the ends 
of his death. But the Scriptures teach no such doc- 
trine. They clearly declare that Christ ought to have 
suffered all that came upon him, and so to enter into 
his glory. Such a view is also very derogatory to the 
character of God. Flavel says : " I dare not affirm, 
as some do, that by reason of the infinite preciousness 
of Christ's blood, one drop thereof had been sufficient 
to have redeemed the whole world : for if one drop had 
been enough, why was all the rest, even to the last 
drop, shed ? Was God cruel, to exact more from him 
than was needful and sufficient? Besides, we must 
remember, that the passions [sufferings] of Christ, 
which were inflicted on him as the curse of the law, 
these only are the passions, which are sufficient for 
our redemption from the curse of the law. Now it 
was not a drop of blood, but death, which was con- 
tained in the curse : this therefore was necessary to 
be inflicted. But surely as none but God can estimate 
the weight and evil of sin, so none but he can compre- 
hend the worth and preciousness of the blood of Christ, 
shed to expiate it." The death of Christ was neces- 
sary. The victim, because it stood in the place of the 
transgressor, must die. "A testament is of force after 
men are dead : otherwise it is of no strength at all 
while the testator liveth." While Jews, infidels and 



THE ATONEMENT. 177 

Christians all agree in holding that Christ died, the 
latter only hold, that without his death we could not 
be saved. 

Of the nature and intention of Christ's sufFerino-s, 
"which terminated in his death, the human mind has 
indulged many wild and dangerous fancies. There 
are still men on earth, who boldly deny that Jesus 
Christ endured the penalty of the law in the room and 
stead of sinners, or that the sins of any were imputed 
to him, or that he was a substitute for others, or that 
his sufferings were strictly vicarious. With very va- 
rious degrees of ignorance or hatred of the truth, men 
reject all the established forms in w^hich sound doc- 
trine is taught. Yet all error is dangerous, and all 
truth is precious. The doctrine of the death of Christ 
holds a very prominent place in the Christian system. 
In fact it is a central truth and demands our warmest 
love. 

The common doctrine of the Christian world has 
been that our sins were imputed to Christ, that he 
bore the curse due to us for our transgressions, that 
he endured the penalty of the law in our stead, that 
his sufferings were those of a substitute for guilty men. 
It has been the judgment of the people of God for 
ages on ages that this doctrine is well established in 
both the Old and the New Testaments. 

It is natural to inquire whether our Lord himself 
explained the nature and object of his own death. In 
the Gospels we gain light on this point. " The Son 
of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, 
and to give Ms life a ransom for many'' Matt. xx. 
28, and Mark x. 45. In full agreement with this de- 
claration Paul says that Christ " gave himself a ran- 



178 THE DEATH OF CHRIST. 

som for all to be testified in due season/' 1 Tim. ii. 6. 
The words translated ransojn in these passages are not 
the same. One is lutron^ the price of redemption. 
The other is antilutron^ which also signifies ransom, 
the price of redemption. Our Lord then did not die 
reluctantly, nor as the martyrs died, but he died in 
commutation or compensation^ as Grotius says. His 
life was the price of our deliverance. It was all the 
price demanded. It was the ransom, the full ransom. 
Kobinson's definition of lutron is " loosing-money^ a 
ransom^ the price paid for the release of any one." 
His definition of antilutron is "an equivalent for re- 
demption, i. e. a ransom." Christ paid the price for 
which many, who had been justly detained as prison- 
ers to sin and death, are released. 

Our Lord also said : " This is my blood of the New 
Testament which is shed for many /or the remission of 
sins." Matt. xxvi. 28. Whose blood besides was ever 
shed for the same end ? Isaiah, John the Baptist, 
Stephen and many others died for the truth, but not 
for the remission of sins. In full accordance with this 
Paul says that Christ "purged our sins." Heb. i. 3. 
" Without shedding of blood is no remission." Heb. ix. 
22. Here is the reason why " repentance and remis- 
sion of sins should be preached in his name among all 
nations." Luke xxiv. 47. Remission is by no other 
name given under heaven among men. Not the blood 
of the prophets, nor of the martyrs, nor of beasts, but 
only the blood of Christ secures the forgiveness of 
sins. Rev. i. 5 ; Acts xx. 28 ; Heb. ix. 12. 

Again, Christ says : " I am the good shepherd ; the 
good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." John x. 
11. " Great and good, just and holy, as he is, he saw 



THE ATONEMENT. 179 

his sheep about to perish in their wandering?!, and in 
order to expiate their guilt, and to ransom them from 
destruction, he not only endured hardship, and en- 
countered danger, but he ' laid down his life for them,' 
and in their stead !" With the truths thus explicitly 
taught well agree all those general statements of 
Christ respecting his mission into this world, such as 
this, " The Son of man is come to seek and to save 
that which was lost." Luke xix. 10. He is the Saviour. 
That is his name. The reason why he bears his name 
Jesus is that he saves his people from their sins. 

The apostles and prophets give an account of the 
death of Christ every way coincident with that given 
by the Lord himself. Thus Peter says : " Christ also 
hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, 
that he might bring us to God." 1 Pet. iii. 18. All 
suffering under the moral government of God is in 
some sense "for sins." ''Death by sin." Some suf- 
fering is purely by way of condign punishment. Thus 
lost angels suffer for their own sins. Some suffering 
is disciplinary, and is designed to wean men from 
error. Thus the pious Christian often suffers for his 
follies. Some suffering is exemplary. Thus the old 
prophets often suffered. James v. 10. But the ground 
of their suffering was always their own sins. God 
never permitted a holy angel to be a sufferer. The 
wicked who are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, 
are also an ensample to us, but they suffer justly for 
their own sins. The last kind of suffering for sin is 
expiatory, where "the just" suffers "for the unjust." 
Christ in no sense suffered for himself. In fact the 
apostle in the next chapter says expressly that " Christ 
hath suffered for us in the flesh." 1 Pet. iv. 1. 



180 THE DEATH OF CHRIST. 

In like manner the Scriptures generally and expli- 
citly teach that Christ died for our sins. '^ He was 
delivered for our offences." Rom. iv. 25. "He gave 
himself for our sins." Gal. i. 4. " Christ died for our 
sins according to the Scriptures." 1 Cor. xv. 3. No 
words could more clearly teach that Christ's death was 
because of our offences against God, on account of our 
rebellion against the Most High. The word of God 
as clearly expresses the same truth in other language. 
" While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 
Rom. V. 8. " Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. v. 6. 
" This is my body, which is broken for you." 1 Cor. 
xi. 24. Here is substitution taught in the clearest 
terms. Christ died in the room and stead of us, sin- 
ners and ungodly. 

By two different writers of Scripture Christ is said 
to be the propitiation for our sins. " Whom God hath 
set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his 
blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of 
sins, that are past." Rom. iii. 25. " He is the pro- 
pitiation for our sins." 1 John ii. 2. " He loved us, 
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 
1 John iv. 10. In the above verses it is not the same 
word in all places that is rendered propitiation. Paul's 
word is hilasterion ; John's is Jdlasmos. They are, how- 
ever, both correctly rendered propitiation, meaning an 
expiation for sin. In full harmony with the foregoing, 
Paul says that " Christ also hath loved us and hath 
given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God 
for a sweet-smelling savour." Eph. v. 2. All Christ 
did he did '' for us." In particular when he offered 
himself a sacrifice it was not for himself, but for us. 
He needed no expiation on his own account, because he 



THE ATONEMENT. 181 

was holy and personally innocent. But just as surely 
as Abel's firstlings were sacrifices in his room and 
stead, so surely was Christ a sacrifice "for us." Ac- 
cordingly he is said to have '' offered himself without 
spot to God." Heb. ix. 14. So also Christ is called 
'' the lamb of God" and " a lamb without blemish and 
without spot." There is no significancy in any bloody 
sacrifice unless the victim offered is a substitute for 
some one. 

Christ is also called our Surety. Heb. vii. 22. A 
surety binds himself to perform something for others, 
and this obligation is either absolute or conditional. 
If one be hopelessly insolvent, the surety uncondi- 
tionally assumes the payment of his debts. This was 
precisely our case. Our ruin was complete. We were 
utterly bankrupt, and Christ undertook to extricate us, 
1. by obeying the precept of the law for us, and 2. by 
enduring the punishment due to us for our transgres- 
sions. In our helplessness Christ pitied us, volunta- 
rily and lovingly undertook our cause for us, was fully 
able to accomplish all he engaged to do, and did sa- 
tisfy all the demands of the law against us as rebels. 
The Scriptures teach that Christ did all this. '' He 
was manifested to take away our sins, and in him was 
no sin." 1 John iii. 5. He took away our sins by 
taking them upon himself. Accordingly the Scrip- 
tures clearly assert that he ^'his own self bare our 
sins in his own body on the tree." 1 Pet. ii. 24. 
" Christ was once ofi'ered to bear the sins of many." 
Ileb. X. 28. No such language is ever used of any 
other. Men bear their own sins in many cases. But 
Christ alone is the ofiering for the sins of many, to 
bear them quite away as the scape-goat did. 
16 



182 THE DEATH OF CHKIST. 

In Rom. viii. 3, Paul says : '' What the law could 
not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God 
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and 
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." That the word 
here translated condemned means punished is satisfac- 
torily shown by Dr. Hodge in his commentary. That 
the doctrine thus taught is true many Scriptures de- 
clare. God then punished sin, not in those who com- 
mitted it and who deserved his wrath, but in the flesh 
of his dear Son. In like manner Paul says : " Christ 
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being 
made a curse for us." Gal. iii. 13. If language has 
any force or meaning this passage teaches that Christ 
has rescued his people from the penalty of the law, 
and that he did this by enduring the penalty in their 
room and stead. It is not probable that any man, 
who will deny that these words teach as much as is 
here supposed, would be profited by any teachings on 
the subject, whether from men or from heaven. The 
curse of the law can mean nothing but the penalty of 
the law. Christ's being made a curse for us can mean 
nothing less than that he bore the penalty for us. The 
Scriptures also expressly teach that Jesus Christ is the 
sole author of reconciliation between God and sinners, 
that by him "we have received the atonement" (or 
reconciliation); Rom. v. 11; that we are "reconciled 
to God by the death of his Son;" Rom. v. 10; and 
that God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." 
2 Cor. V. 18. Now there is no way that the death of 
God's Son could make reconciliation but by his satis- 
fying divine justice in our place and stead. Christ is 
our peace. 

Having seen what Christ and his apostles taught 



THE ATONEMENT. 183 

respecting the Intent of his death, let us look at two 
portions of the Old Testament, which have been sup- 
posed to teach that Christ bore the punishment due to 
his people for their sins. The first is in the 40th 
Psalm. " Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire ; 
mine ears hast thou opened [or bored, as Hebrew mas- 
ters bored the ears of their servants] : burnt-offering 
and sin-offering hast thou not required. Then said I, 
Lo I come, in the volume of the book it is written of 
me : I delight to do thy will, my God.^' The 
apostle Paul, in Heb. x. 5 — 12, has given us an in- 
spired and therefore infallible interpretation of this 
passage. It is fully coincident with what has already 
been argued. 

The other portion of the Old Testament to which 
attention is here called is the precious 63d chapter of 
Isaiah, where many of the forms of speech already 
noticed occur and others are introduced, all teaching 
that Christ was our substitute, that he was punished 
for us, that he bore the wrath of God in our stead. 
The whole chapter is very dear to God's people. But 
a few quotations must suffice : " Surely he hath borne 
our grief and carried our sorrows," v. 4. William 
Lowth says of this: "He hath borne the evils and 
punishments which were due to our sins. The He- 
brew verbs [rendered he hath home and hath carried~\ 
properly signify to bear the punishment due to sin." 
Matthew Henry says : " The load was heavy, and the 
way long, yet he did not tire, but persevered to the 
end, till he said. It is finished.'" Dr. Scott saj^s : " He 
endured our griefs and sorrows, becoming a sufferer to 
redeem us from eternal sufferings." 

The fifth verse of the chapter reads thus : " But he 



184 THE DEATH OF CHRIST. 

was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised 
for our iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace was 
upon him, and with his stripes we are healed/^ Lowth 
says, " He suffered those chastisements or punishments, 
by which our peace with God was wrought, and satis- 
faction was made to the divine justice/' Scott says, 
^' He was ' wounded,' but it was not for his own, but 
for our transgressions ; he was crushed with most in- 
tense agonies of body and soul, but it was for our ini- 
quities." Dr. J. A. Alexander says: "The chastise- 
ment of peace is not only that which tends to peace, 
but that by which peace is procured directly." 

" The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,'* 
V. 6. Lowth says : " The letter of the Hebrew runs 
thus, The Lord hath made the iniquities of us all to 
meet on him, or to fall upon him.^' Scott says, "The 
justice of God must be satisfied, before the criminals 
could be again received into his favour and under his 
care, and therefore Jehovah laid, or ' caused to meet' 
upon Christ, the Surety, not the punishment only, but 
the iniquity of them all, imputing it to him, and re- 
quiring of him satisfaction for it." Dr. Alexander 
says that our version " is objectionable only because it 
is too weak, and suggests the idea of a mild and inof- 
fensive gesture, whereas that conveyed by the Hebrew 
word is necessarily a violent one, viz. that of causing 
to strike or fall." 

"For the transgression of my people was he 
stricken," v. 8. Dr. Alexander translates it, "for the 
transgressior. of my people (as) a curse for them.'' 
Dr. Scott says : " For the transgression of his people, 
the stroke or punishment was on him." 

"It pleased the Lokd to bruise him; he hath put 



THE ATONEMENT. Ib5 

Ilim to grief ; when thou shalt make his soul an offer- 
ing for sin," v. 10. Surely none will blaspheme his 
blessed name by saying that his soul was an offering 
for his own sin. He was holy, harmless, undefiled 
and separate from sinners. As his soul was the offer- 
ing also, and not merely his body, so it was the sword 
of the Lord that pierced him much more deeply than 
the nails or the spear. Zech. xiii. 7. Awake, sword, 
and smite the man, that is my fellow, saith Jehovah.'' 

^'For he shall bear their iniquities," v. 11. Dr. 
Alexander on this verse remarks that Christ "be- 
comes a Saviour only by becoming a substitute." His 
people shall receive his righteousness, " and he shall 
bear their burdens." Such is a very brief view of the 
express and precious teachings of this portion of God's 
word, which makes Matthew Henry say that 'Hhis 
chapter is so replenished with the unsearchable riches 
of Christ, that it may be called rather, The Crospel of 
the evangelist Isaiah^ than the prophecy of the prophet 
Isaiah.'' 

In teaching the imputation of our sins to Christ no 
one holds that there is or could be any personal iden- 
tity between Christ and his people. When we say 
that he and they are one, we mean that for their sakes 
and on their account, he was regarded and treated as 
if he deserved evil, and that for his sake and on his 
account they are regarded and treated as if they were 
innocent and deserving of good. Nor is it any por- 
tion of sound doctrine that the moral turpitude of our 
sins was transferred to Christ. This, in the nature of 
things, is impossible. The moral qualities of personal 
acts are confined to the acts themselves, or to those 
who perform them. The defilement of our sins is not 
16* 



186 THE DEATH OF CHRIST. 

imputed to Christ any more than the moral excellence 
of his acts is imputed to us. Of course Christ felt no 
consciousness of personal ill-desert, and consequently 
no remorse. This was as impossible as that we should 
feel self-complacency for Christ's righteousness im- 
puted to us. A surety is not partaker of the misdeed, 
which has brought a party into trouble, but he simply 
agrees to pay the penalty or debt. Bitter as may be 
the sufferings brought on us by the sins of others, we 
cannot upbraid ourselves for having committed them. 
Neither did our Saviour feel the fell gnaw of despair. 
no. ''For the joy that was set before him he en- 
dured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down 
at the right hand of God." Heb. xii. 2. Neither re- 
morse nor despair was the penalty denounced against 
transgression. The penalty was death. And although 
despair and remorse come on those, who are personally 
depraved, yet this is because they are thus sunk in 
sin. 

It may be well also here to say that Christ's suffer- 
ings, though protracted, were not eternal, because of 
the infinite dignity of his person. ''The eternity of 
punishment," says Charnock, "arises from the condi- 
tion of the subject suffering, not from the nature of 
punishment itself. A creature, being a limited nature, 
cannot give an infinite satisfaction commensurate to 
an infinite justice, without suffering eternally. There- 
fore though infinite punishment be due, yet eternal 
punishment is not in itself due, but falls in, for want 
of the creature's ability to satisfy the demands of legal 
justice. Since it cannot satisfy the law by one, or 
many acts of sufferings, it is always suffering, but never 
fully satisfies : but the infinite dignity of the person of 



THE ATONEMENT. 187 

Christ transcending all creatures, made the satisfaction 
he offered valuable without an eternal duration of 
those torments/' 

As our Saviour was a voluntary surety there was no 
injustice in requiring of him the satisfaction due from 
us. So true and so old is the doctrine that our 
Lord suffered the just for the unjust, the innocent for 
the guilty, that to this day we have no better means 
of illustrating the whole method of pardon and accept- 
ance than by a simple explanation of many of the 
types, and especially the sacriiGices of the Old Testa- 
ment. The doctrine of the imputation of the sin of 
one to the person of another is as old as the institution 
of shedding blood in solemn worship, and slaying vic- 
tims at earthly altars. 

One of the most painful things in the life of a lover 
of sound doctrine is, that where his own views and feel- 
ings w^ould lead him to rejoice and adore, he finds ca- 
villers calling him to refute frivolous objections. ''The 
highest wonder ever exhibited to the world, to angels 
and men, is the Son of God suffering and dying for 
sinners." But such is the wickedness of men that in- 
stead of being charmed and awed by the glories of 
redemption by Christ Jesus, they often sit down in 
cold blood, as did his murderers, and without emotion 
contemplate the most amazing sufferings ever wit- 
nessed. Beware of self-conceit, beware of all opinions 
on the subject of the atonement, unless you can prove 
them by the tenor of Scripture. 

Respecting the satisfaction of Christ four views have 
been taken: 1. That he fully satisfied all the claims of 
the law for all men, and that all shall therefore infalli- 
bly be saved. This was the doctrine of the old Uni- 



188 THE DEATH OF CHRIST. 

versallsts. As it is fallen into general disfavour, fur- 
ther notice need not here be taken of it. 2. Another 
theory is that Christ did not satisfy divine justice for 
any of the sins of any man. In other words there was 
no atonement required and none made. This theory 
teaches that Christ's death was a symbol, a testimony, a 
display of justice against one on whom no sins were 
laid. The old Socinians held that Christ's death was 
a mere martyrdom. Is it not strange that they should 
thus hold, when our Lord gave signs of distress and 
agony never witnessed in any of his people when called 
to die for the truth ? John Newton says, " No words 
can be more select and emphatical than those which 
the evangelists use in describing his consternation in 
the garden of Gethsemane. How can this his dejec- 
tion and terror be accounted for by those, who deny 
that his sufferings and death were a proper atonement 
of sin ; and who suppose, that when he had given to 
men a perfect rule of life, and commended it to them 
by his own example, he died merely to confirm the 
truth of his doctrine, and to encourage his followers 
to faithfulness under sufferings ? Many of his follow- 
ers, who were thus witnesses for the truth, and pat- 
terns of faithfulness to us, have met death in its most 
terrible forms with composure, yea, with pleasure, 
yea, with transports of joy. But is the disciple above 
his Lord ? If Christians have triumphed in such cir- 
cumstances, why did Christ tremble ? Not surely be- 
cause their constancy and courage were greater than 
his. The causes were entirely different. The mar- 
tyrs were given up to them, who could kill the body 
only ; but Jesus suffered immediately from the hand 
.of God. One stroke of his mighty hand can bruise 



THE ATONEMENT. 189 

the spirit of man more sensibly than the united power 
of all creatures/' 

3. Another theory is that Christ satisfied for some 
of the sins of all men, and left them by their own 
works and sufferings to satisfy for the rest. This 
theory is seldom stated in so many words, but it is 
very pleasing to many, and is the actual scheme of 
thousands. It is virtually the plan of many Roman 
Catholics, who add their own merits and those of the 
saints to the merits of Christ. The Archbishop of 
Paris dying of wounds, received in fightings, which 
followed the expulsion of the house of Orleans, said : 
" God, I ofi^er to thee my present sufi'erings as an 
atonement for the errors of my episcopate." This 
sounds indeed as if his own sufferings were his sole 
reliance; but his creed mentions the sufi'erings and 
death of Christ. 

i 4. The last theory is that Jesus Christ made satis- 
faction for all the sins of all his people, that he paid 
the last farthing of the debt they owed to the broken 
law and injured government of God, and that in him 
they are complete and have full redemption. The 
Westminster Assembly says : " Christ by his death 
' did fully pay the debt of all his people, and did make 
a proper, real, and full satisfaction to his Father's 
justice in their behalf." The essence of the atone- 
ment consists in this satisfaction, which was proper^ 
not figurative, not emblematical ; real^ not imaginary, 
nor pretended ; and full^ not partial, nor incomplete, 
not needing our merits to eke it out. 

We have already seen how well this doctrine agrees 
both with the very words and with the general scope 
of Scripture. Were not this chapter already long, it 



190 THE DEATH OF CHRIST. 

would he easy to add the concurrent testimony of the 
best reformed churches and of many great divines. 
Some of these will hereafter be adduced for the pur- 
pose of illustrating other points. In the meantime the 
foregoing is the plain simple doctrine of the atone- 
ment as held in the Presbyterian and many other 
churches. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 

No doctrine is more important than that of justifi- 
cation before God. This has long been the judgment 
of the Christian world. Luther says : '' The article 
of justification being lost, all Christian doctrine 
perishes with it.'' He elsewhere calls justification 
"the article of a standing or falling church." Me- 
lancthon says : " We are brought into danger for the 
only reason that we deny the Romish doctrine of jus- 
tification." Calvin says : " If this one head were 
yielded safe and entire, it would not pay the cost to 
make any great quarrel about other matters in contro- 
versy with Rome." Hooker says : " The grand ques- 
tion, that hangeth in controversy between us and 
Rome is about the matter of justifying righteousness." 
John Newman in his Salters-Hall Sermon says: "A 
sinner's justification before God is a doctrine of great 
importance in the Christian religion." Usher says: 
" The strong bastion of our Reformed Church is Jus- 
tification hy faith ; ' erected upon the foundation of the 
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the 
chief corner-stone.' That gone, the temple is taken, 
the ark is in captivity ; ' from the daughter of Zion all 
her beauty is departed.' " Bishop Hall says : " That 
point of justification of all others is exceeding impor- 
tant." John Newton says : " The great privilege of 
the elect, comprehensive of every blessing, is, that 

(191) 



192 JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 

they are justified, finally and authoritatively justified.'* 
Dr. Thomas Scott says : " ' How should man be just 
•with God?' All our eternal interests depend on the 
answer, which, in our creed and experience, we return 
to this question : for if God hath, for the glory of his 
own name, law, and government, appointed a method 
of justifying sinners, and revealed it in the gospel ; 
and they in the pride of their hearts, refuse to seek 
the blessing in this way, but will come for it according 
to their own devices ; he may justly, and will certainly, 
leave them under merited condemnation." The elder 
Edwards presents the following considerations in 
proof of the importance of the doctrine of justifica- 
tion by faith alone : 1. '^ The Scripture treats of this 
doctrine as a doctrine of very great importance." 
2. " The adverse scheme lays another foundation of 
man's salvation than God hath laid." 3. "It is in 
this doctrine that the most essential difference lies be- 
tween the covenant of grace and the first covenant." 

4. " This is the main thing for which fallen men stood 
in need of a divine revelation, to teach us how we who 
have sinned may come to be again accepted of God." 

5. " The contrary scheme of justification derogates 
much from the honour of God and the Mediator." 

6. '' The opposite scheme does most directly tend to 
lead men to trust in their own righteousness for justi- 
fication, which is a thing fatal to the soul." Father 
Paul tells us that the Popish fathers and divines of the 
Council of Trent admitted that all the alleged errors 
of Luther could be traced to his views on justification, 
and that the only Avay to maintain the other dogmas 
of Rome was " to overthrow the heresy of justification 
by faith only." Socinus calls this doctrine base and 



JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 193 

pernicious, and says it is to be execrated and detested. 
Swedenborg and his followers direct their strongest 
efforts against this doctrine. The same is true of 
nearly all modern heretics. So that by the confession 
of the friends and the enemies of the true doctrine, 
the views men entertain on this subject are vastly im- 
portant and control their belief on other points. In- 
deed PauFs epistles to the Romans and to the Gala- 
tians, written chiefly to teach and establish the truth 
on this subject, stand imperishable monuments of the 
judgment of that great and inspired man as to the 
weighty matter of justification before God. It could 
not be otherwise. We rise or fall, w^e live or die, we 
are saved or lost, according as we are justified, or not. 
On such a subject we should conduct our inquiries 
with great candour, and adopt conclusions after much 
prayer and in the fear of God. He, who heartily 
loves and adopts the truth here, may indeed be left to 
some other errors, which will mar the symmetry of his 
Christian character, impair his usefulness, and diminish 
his final reward, yet he shall not be cast off* at last. 
But he, who at heart rejects the true ground of justi- 
fication must finally, utterly, inevitably perish. So 
teaches Paul : '' Other foundation can no man lay than 
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man 
build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, 
wood, hay, stubble ; every man's work shall be made 
manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall 
be revealed by fire ; and the fire shall try every man's 
work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide 
which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a re- 
ward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall 
17 



194 JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 

suffer loss : but he himself shall be saved ; yet so as 
by fire/' 1 Cor. iii. 11 — 15. This settles the question- 
Justification is the opposite of condemnation. 
Whatever one is, the other is not. In Scripture they 
are often set over against each other. "By thy 
words thou shalt be justified^ and by thy words, thou 
shalt be condemned.'' Matt. xii. 37. ''He thaty^^s^z- 
fietJi the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, 
even they both are abomination to the Lord." Prov. 
xvii. 15. " If there be a controversy between men, 
and they come unto judgment, that the judges may 
judge them ; then they shall justify the righteous, and 
condemn the wicked." Deut. xxv. 1. " If I justify 
myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me." Job ix. 
20. "As by the off*ence of one, judgment came upon 
all men to condemnation^ even so by the righteousness 
of one the free gift came upon all men to justification 
of life.'' Rom. v. 18. These texts not only show that 
condemnation and justification are opposite to each 
other, but that these two words are borrowed from 
judicial proceedings, and so are properly said to be 
forensic. Justifying is declaring or pronouncing one 
righteous, as condemning is pronouncing or declaring 
one guilty. Often in Scripture these terms are said 
to belong to judicature, as in Psa. xxxvii. 33, " The 
Lord will not condemn him lohen he is judged ;" Matt, 
xii. 42, " The queen of the south shall rise up in the 
judgment with this generation and shall condemn it ;" 
Psa. cix. 7, " When he shall be judged^ let him be 
condemned ;" Psa. li. 4, " That thou mightest be justi- 
fied, when thou speakest, and be clear, when thou 
judgest." Yet, while the term is borrowed from the 
forum, it is not used precisely in the same sense in 



JUSTIFICATION BErORE GOD. 195 

theology as when we apply it to judicial proceedings 
among men. At a human tribunal a man is said to be 
justified^ when no crime has been proven against him, 
but his conduct has met with the approval of those by 
whom he was judged. But when a man is said to be 
justified before God, the meaning is that a sinner has 
been pardoned and accepted in the Beloved. Had man 
never sinned, he would have been justified as one, who 
had broken no law, and would have needed no pardon. 
But being a law-breaker, any trial in the sight of Grod 
will show him culpable, and in himself undone. If a 
sinner is justified, it must be by an act of grace. 

The Westminster Assembly thus taught : " Justifi- 
cation is an act of God's free grace unto sinners, in 
which he pardoneth all their sin, accepteth and ac- 
counteth their persons righteous, in his sight ; not for 
anything wrought in them or done by them, but only 
for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, 
by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone." 
You will hardly find a better definition than this in 
uninspired writings. It is true, complete, guarded, 
comprehensive. Let us consider it somewhat in detail. 
First, justification is an act. It is not a work, or 
series of acts. It is not progressive. The w^eakest 
believer and the strongest saint are alike and equally 
justified. Justification admits of no degrees. A man is 
either wholly justified or wholly condemned in the sight 
of God. " There is therefore now NO condemnation to 
them, which are in Christ Jesus." "Who shall lay 
ANYTHING to the charge of God's elect ?" Rom. viii. 
1, 33. And when a soul is condemned it is wholly con- 
demned. ^'Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and 
yet ofiend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 



196 JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 

ii. 10. ^^The soul that sinneth, IT SHALL DIE." Ezek. 
xviii. 4. When it is said in Luke xviii. 14, that the 
publican '' went down to his house justified rather than 
the" pharisee, it does not mean that the pharisee was 
somewhat justified and the publican more justified. 
The sense is that the former w^as justified in preference 
to the other, to the exclusion of the other. The pub- 
lican was perfectly justified, the pharisee was not at 
all justified. There is a moment, when a man is under 
the curse, and a moment when he comes to be under 
grace. 

Secondly^ justification is an act of God. He alone 
is its author. He is called "the Justifier." "It is 
God that justifieth." "It is one God which shall jus- 
tify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision 
through faith." Rom. iii. 26, 80, and viii. 33. We 
should not forget this great truth. We may justify 
ourselves, our neighbours may call us the excellent of 
the earth, pretended priests of God may blasphe- 
mously pronounce us absolved from all sin, but all 
this will avail us nothing ; " for the Lord seeth not as 
man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appear- 
ance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Sam. xvi. 
17. Christ said to some, " Te are they which justify 
yourselves before men ; but God knoweth your hearts : 
for that which is highly esteemed among men is abom- 
ination in the sight of God." Luke xvi. 16. More- 
over it is one of the highest prerogatives of sovereignty 
to condemn and to justify. As it is God's government 
we live under, as it is his law that we have broken, as 
it is his Son that died, as it is his tribunal, before which 
we must all appear, so it is right that he and not another 
should pass sentence upon us. The governor of one 



JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 197 

state, or the king of one country cannot punish or 
pardon an offence committed in the territorial limits 
of another. It is beyond his jurisdiction. In the 
moral government of the universe, God's authority is 
sole, supreme, exclusive. He alone is the Lawgiver, 
he alone is the Judge. No one has jurisdiction but 
himself. None can really or effectually justify or con- 
demn but he. 

Thirdly^ justification is more than is of right due to 
any man. He is a sinner, and whatever good thing 
comes to him must be of God's mere bounty. It is a 
gratuity, not a debt. So justification is " an act of 
God's FREE GRACE UNTO SINNERS." Considered in 
regard to holy angels, justification would have another 
signification. They have no sins to pardon. Their 
innocence is their shield. In the eye of the divine 
law they stand on the ground of perfect, personal, 
perpetual obedience. But the question is not, How^ 
are holy angels justified ? but, How shall man be just 
with God ? Had man never sinned he would have 
stood justified in the same way as his elder brethren 
in glory. Indeed the natural method of justification 
for all accountable creatures is by personal righteous- 
ness, but since man became a sinner, this door is shut 
up, and cherubim and a flaming sword forbid his en- 
trance into life by that method. The Scripture does 
not deny that angels stand before God by their works. 
But it does say : ^' By the deeds of the law there 
shall no flesh be justified in his sight;" "a man is 
not justified by the works of the law :" ''by the works 
of the law shall no flesh be justified." Rom. iii. 20, 
and Gal. ii. 16. Paul expressly teaches that God 
^'justifieth the ungodly." Eom. iv. 5. To say that 
17^ 



198 JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 

the power of sight in the blind, whose eyes Christ 
opened, was the cause of the miracle by which they 
obtained vision is absurd. Their ability to see came 
only from the love and power of the Son of God. To 
say that a sound condition of the body was the cause 
of the expulsion of the fever from the veins of Peter's 
wife's mother, is to speak foolishness. That disease 
was removed by Christ alone. Health did not pre- 
cede, it followed the act of Christ. So God looks on 
sinners as ungodly^ and in their ruin he pities them, 
and graciously pardons and accepts them. This doc- 
trine must be insisted on at all times and at all hazards 
for three reasons. Firsts it is the only doctrine, which 
can properly be called Gospel, good news to sinners ; 
secondly^ God's honour is more completely staked on 
the maintenance, propagation and reception of this 
than of any other doctrine of revealed religion ; 
thirdly^ this is the only doctrine, which produces genu- 
ine holiness of heart and life. 

Three points of the definition of justification quoted 
have been considered. Four others, viz. : the pardon 
of sin, the acceptance of the sinner in Christ, the im- 
putation of Christ's righteousness, and the oflSce of 
faith in justification, remain to be considered. Each 
of these is vastly important, and shall be distinctly 
treated. In the mean time let every one exalt the lov- 
ing-kindness of him, who allows us to hope for full jus- 
tification by the blood and righteousness of the great 
Redeemer. If ever glad tidings of great joy reached 
the ears of mortals, here it is : " Being justified by 
faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord 
Jesus Christ." 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

JUSTIFICATION. — THE PARDON OF SIN BY CHRIST'S 
BLOOD. 

To holy angels innocence is a sweet word. But to 
humble, penitent sinners forgiveness is music and life. 
In itself the former is better than the latter, as unin- 
terrupted health is better than recovery from sickness, 
unbroken friendship better than quarrels followed by 
reconciliations. Yet such is the wisdom of God in 
man's salvation that forgiveness has a sweetness and 
will be followed by glories, which never belonged to 
innocence. By the incarnation of Christ human na- 
ture is married to the divine, and is thus exalted to a 
seat on the throne of the universe. And as Christ has 
shown by three parables that it is common to men to 
rejoice more over one thing lost and recovered, than 
over ninety and nine things never lost, so we may for 
ever rejoice unspeakably more over a lost paradise 
regained, than we should have done over a paradise 
never lost. Surely the sweetest songs ever warbled, 
the most thrilling anthems ever sung, the loudest Al- 
leluiahs ever thundered relate to redemption and for- 
giveness, to salvation and 

The Lamb, the Lamb, the loving Lamb, 
The Lamb, that died on Calvary. 

Should such, however, be the result, it will not be be- 
cause sin is not in its own nature ineffably mischievous 
(199) 



200 JUSTIFICATION. 

and malignant ; but solely because Jehovah is infinite 
in skill and love, bringing light out of darkness, joy 
out of sorrow, good out of evil. Marvellous is his 
loving-kindness. Plenteous is he in mercy. God alone 
is great. 

Many words in Scripture point towards forgiveness, 
such as grace, mercy, peace with God, not imputing 
iniquity, taking away sin, bearing sin, making an end 
of transgression, covering sin, forgetting sin, not re- 
membering iniquity, washing, cleansing and removing 
sin, casting it into the sea, or behind the back, scat- 
tering it like a cloud, burying it, blotting it out, par- 
doning it. When the scape-goat bore away the sins 
laid upon him to a land not inhabited, he only did in a 
figure what Jesus does in fulfilment of this and many 
other types. In the Old Testament the word often 
rendered atonement is literally ''covering,'' or cover- 
ing up. As we bury our dead out of our sight, so God 
buries the sins of believers out of his sight. In old 
times accounts were often kept on tables of wax, and 
when a debt was paid or forgiven, the account was 
blotted out by rubbing a smooth surface over it. So 
God cancels our debts, blots out the handwriting that 
was against us, not because we have paid what we 
owed or any part of it, but because he pities us and is 
rich in mercy towards us. When a master does not 
wish to notice the errors of a servant, he turns his 
head another way. So God hides his face from our 
sins, and refuses to " behold iniquity in Jacob,'' or to 
^' see perverseness in Israel." Num. xxiii. 21. Yea 
God hides our sins themselves, not from his omni- 
science, for that is impossible, but from his punitive 
justice. " In those days, and in that timCj saith the 



THE PARDON OF SIN BY CHRIST'S BLOOD. 201 

Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and 
there shall be none ; and the sins of Judah, and they 
shall not be found : for I will pardon them whom I 
reserve/' Jer. 1. 20. As a man ceases to brood over 
an offence, which he has forgiven, and does not wish 
to cherish a remembrance of it, so says God : " Their 
sins and iniquities will I remember no more." Ileb. x. 
17. And as a thing, which might do a child harm, is 
put far from it, so God's people sing: ''As far as the 
east is from the west, so far hath he removed our trans- 
gressions from us." Psa. ciii. 12. The Scripture fully 
informs us that our hope of pardon is in God alone. 
" To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgive- 
nesses, though we have rebelled against him." Dan. 
ix. 9. It no less distinctly lets us know that in par- 
doning us God is self-moved to so gracious an act : ''I, 
even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions /or 
mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Isa. 
xliii. 25. The forgiveness of sins is free. It is " with- 
out money and without price." We can do nothing to 
merit it, or prepare ourselves for it. To deserve for- 
giveness is a solecism in language, an absurdity in law, 
a heresy in doctrine, and an impossibility in practice. 
When God pardons, he pardons all sins, original sin 
and actual sin, sins of omission and of commission, 
secret and open sins, sins of thought, word and deed. 
One unpardoned sin would destroy a soul for ever. A 
single transgression can rouse an enlightened con- 
science to the wildest fury. And ''every sin deserves 
the wrath and curse of God both in this life, and in 
that which is to come." Yet to those, who believe in 
Jesus, all is freely forgiven. Full pardon, or none at 
all, is what God designs to give. This suits human 



202 JUSTIFICATION. 

necessities. Nor is this gift ever revoked by God. 
When he forgives, he forgives for ever. He, who is 
once pardoned, never again comes under the curse of 
the law. Upon new provocations men sometimes re- 
vive old controversies. Not so God. Sin once par- 
doned by him is done with for ever. He has cast it 
behind his back and will not return to search for it. 
Forgiveness of sins that are past is a sure pledge that 
future sins shall not have a condemning power. God 
forgives no sin until it is committed, but he executes 
his unchanging purposes of love to his people and judi- 
cially forgives their sins as soon as committed. 2 Sam. 
xii. 13. This does not screen them from fatherly chas- 
tisement for their good and his glory ; but they never 
come into penal condemnation. At no time are be- 
lievers under the law as a covenant of works, but they 
are always under grace. 

Christ is set upon the hill of Zion to grant repent- 
ance and remission of sins. The moving cause of for- 
giveness is his boundless love ; but the procuring cause 
is his own most precious blood. " Without shedding 
of blood is no remission." " By his own blood he en- 
tered in once into the holy place, having obtained eter- 
nal redemption for us." ''The blood of Christ, who 
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot 
to God, shall purge your conscience from dead works 
to serve the living God." We have '^ boldness to 
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new 
and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, 
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." Heb. ix. 12, 
14, 22, and x. 19, 20. " As for thee also, by the blood 
of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of 
the pit wherein is no water." Zech. ix. 11. *'This is 



THE PARDON OF SIN BY CHRIST'S RLOOD. 203 

my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for 
many for the remission of sins." Matt. xxvi. 28. 
" Being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from 
wrath through him." Eom. v. 9. "In whom w^e have 
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of his grace." "In Christ 
Jesus, ye, who sometime were far off, are made nigh 
by the blood of Christ." Eph. i. 7, and ii. 13. He 
has " made peace through the blood of his cross." Col. 
i. 20. "The blood of Christ his Son cleanseth us 
from all sin." 1 John i. 7. So that nothing but ex- 
treme ignorance or extraordinary wickedness can in- 
duce a poor sinner to venture near to God except 
through the blood of Christ. By his stripes we are 
healed. By his chastisement is our peace. By his 
sorrows come our joys. By his death is our life. As 
our Surety he pays all our debt. As the lamb of 
God he takes away the sins of the world. By his ex- 
piation we go free. No man is truly blessed till he 
has this blessing, the pardon of sin. It is the pledge 
and forerunner of all others. It is a fountain of life. 
It takes away the sting of death. Augustine says : 
"All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death 
is my merit, my refuge, my salvation, my life and my 
resurrection. The mercy of the Lord is my merit ; I 
am not without merit, so long as the Lord of mercies 
is not wanting. And if the mercies of the Lord be 
many, I abound in merits." Again, ^' the certainty 
of our whole confidence consists in the blood of Christ." 
The blood of sprinkling speaketh better things than 
the blood of Abel. That called for vengeance, this 
for peace. How highly the people of God prize this 
blessing of forgiveness may be learned from their his-. 



204 JUSTIFICATION. 

tory in all ages : ^' Blessed is he whose transgression 
is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the 
man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.'' Psa. 
xxxii. 1, 2. In enumerating the benefits he had re- 
ceived, David puts this first. '' Bless the Lord, O my 
soul, and forget not all his benefits : who forgiveth all 
thine iniquities." Psa. ciii. 2, 3. So the Church of 
God has always held. The Confession of France says : 
" We affirm, that Jesus Christ is our perfect and en- 
tire washing ; in whose death we obtain full satisfac- 
tion ; whereby we are delivered from all those sins, 
whereof we are guilty, and from which we could not 
be acquitted by any other remedy." That of Eng- 
land says : '' Our only succour and refuge is to fly to 
the mercy of our Father by Jesus Christ, and as- 
suredly to persuade our minds, that he is the obtainer 
of forgiveness for our sins ; and that, by his blood, all 
our spots of sin be washed clean ; that he hath paci- 
fied, and set at one, all thmgs by the blood of his 
cross." That of Scotland : " We confess and avow, 
that there remaineth no other sacrifice for sin ; (Heb. 
X. 26,) which if any affirm, we nothing doubt to avow, 
that they are blasphemous against Christ's death, and 
the everlasting purgation and satisfaction purchased 
to us by the same." That of Belgia : " We account 
all things as dung, in respect of the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, finding, in his 
wounds and stripes, all manner of comfort that can be 
desired. Wherefore, there is no need, that either we 
should wish for any other means, or devise any of our 
own brains, whereby we might be reconciled unto God, 
besides this one oblation once offered, by which all 
the faithful, which are sanctified, are consecrated, or 



THE PARDON OF SIN BY CHRIST'S BLOOD. 205 

perfected for ever." That of Augsburg teaclics that 
Christ, ''who was born of the virgin Mary, did truly 
suffer, was crucified, dead and buried, that he might 
reconcile his Father unto us, and might be a sacrifice, 
not only for the original sin, but also for all actual 
sins, of men." 

It is worthy of special notice that the nearness of 
death makes the pardon of sin and the blood of Christ 
very precious to the souls of good men. The Rev. 
Dr. Cornelius on his death-bed said : " The impression 
has been on my mind for these last three days, that 
this is my final sickness ; and I bless God that I can 
look forward to the change before me with composure 
and hope. I feel that I am a poor sinner ; I need to 
be w^ashed from head to foot in the blood of atonement 
(this last was uttered with the most affecting solemnity) 
— but I hope I may be saved through the blood of 
Christ. Within the last year and especially of late, 
the Lord Jesus Christ has been becoming more and 
more precious to my soul. I feel that I can commit 
my immortal all to him ; and here I wish to bear my 
dying testimony that I go to the judgment, relying on 
nothing but the blood of Christ. Without that I 
should have no hope." 
18 



CHAPTER XXV. 



JUSTIFICATION.— ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST. 

It is an error of some that they make our entire 
justification to consist in the pardon of sin. It is not 
here denied that by a well-known figure of speech re- 
mission, pardon and forgiveness, are each sometimes 
put for the whole of justification, just as fear, love and 
faith are each put for the whole of religion, and just 
as the cross of Christ is spoken of to signify the whole 
system of truths essentially connected with the cross. 
But precious as is the gift of pardon, and certainly as 
it is accompanied by acceptance in the Beloved, yet it 
is not itself such acceptance. Our case demands more 
than mere remission. Bare pardon would save us 
from hell. It could give us no title to heaven. It 
would bar the gates of death, but it would not open 
the gates of life. It breaks ofi" our chains and opens 
our prison doors, but it does not beauteously array us, 
and send us forth in the garments of salvation. It de- 
stroys the fear and takes away the pains of hell, but 
gives not the hope of glory, nor secures the rewards 
of grace. Pardon turns the rebel loose, but it does 
not authorize him to sit at the table of the king. It 
secures to us remission ; we want admission to the di- 
vine favour. Pardon brings us out of Egypt. Ac- 
ceptance enfeoffs us in Canaan. Pardon causes us to 
(200)^ 



JUSTIEICATION — ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST. 207 

cease to be heirs of hell. Acceptance makes us heirs 
of heaven. It is also freely granted that forgiveness 
and acceptance, remission and a title to eternal glory- 
are never separated, though they are distinct and dif- 
ferent ; just as faith, hope and love are never sepa- 
rated, yet no man will contend that they are the same 
Christian virtues. As many as God pardons, he ac- 
cepts in Christ, regenerates, sanctifies and glorifies. 
A separate link of this blessed chain is never found, 
yet each link is distinct. As this distinction is highly 
important, and the opposition to it sometimes violent 
and scornful, it may be well to give the views of those, 
whose names are of weight with nearly all good men. 
It is strange that such hatred of the precious truth of 
God should ever be indulged, but the friends of sound 
doctrine cannot abandon the defence of that, which is 
so precious. It is their life. Calvin says : " We 
simply explain justification to be an acceptance, by 
which God receives us into his favour, and esteems us 
as righteous persons ; and we say it consists in the 
remission of sins and the imputation of the righteous- 
ness of Christ." Owen says : " Had we not been sin- 
ners, we should have had no need of the imputation of 
the righteousness of Christ to render us righteous be- 
fore God. Being so, the first end for which it is im- 
puted is the pardon of sin ; without which we could not 
be righteous by the imputation of the most perfect 
righteousness. These things therefore are consistent, 
namely that the satisfaction of Christ should be im- 
puted unto us for the pardon of sin, and the obedience 
of Christ be imputed unto us to render us righteous 
before God. And they are not only consistent, but 
neither of them singly were suflScient unto our justifi- 



208 JUSTIFICATION — ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST. 

cation." How precious such doctrine is, how faith 
lays hold of it as with both hands ! Bishop Hopkins 
says: ^'It is not therefore, my sou], a mere nega- 
tive mercy that God intends thee in the pardon of thy 
sins : it is not merely the removing of the curse and 
wrath, which thy sins have deserved, though that alone 
can never be sufficiently admired. But the same 
hand, that plucks thee out of hell by pardoning grace 
and mercy, lifts thee up to heaven by what it gives 
thee together with thy pardon, even a right and title 
to the glorious inheritance of saints above.'' 

It is very strange that some should deny that the 
elder Edwards maintained this view, when in his ser- 
mon on justification he gives it great prominence, and 
that in the early part of the discourse. His language 
is: "A person is said to be justified^ when he is ap- 
proved of God as free from the guilt of sin and its de- 
served punishment, and as having that righteousness 
belonging to him that entitles to the reward of life. 
That we should take the word in such a sense, and 
understand it as the judge's accepting a person as 
having both a negative and positive righteousness be- 
longing to him, and looking on him therefore as not 
only free from any obligation to punishment, but also 
as just and righteous, and so entitled to a positive 
reward, is not only most agreeable to the etymology 
and natural import of the word, which signifies to pass 
one for righteous in judgment, but also manifestly 
agreeable to the force of the word as used in Scripture. 

" Some suppose that nothing more is intended in 
Scripture by justification, than barely the remission of 
sins. If so, it is very strange, if we consider the na- 
ture of the case ; for it is most evident and none will 



JUSTIFICATION — ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST. 209 

deny, that it Is with respect to the rule or law of God 
we are under, that we are said in Scripture to be either 
justified or condemned. Now what is it to justify a 
person as the subject of a law or rule, but to judge 
him as standing right with regard to that rule ? To 
justify a person in a particular case, is to approve of 
him as standing right, as subject to the law in that 
case ; and to justify in general is to pass him in judg- 
ment, as standing right in a state correspondent to the 
law or rule in general ; but certainly, in order to a 
person's being looked on as standing right with respect 
to the rule in general, or in a state corresponding with 
the law of God, more is needful than not having the 
guilt of sin ; for whatever that law is, whether a new 
or an old one, doubtless something positive is needed 
in order to its being answered. We are no more jus- 
tified by the voice of the law, or of him that judges 
according to it, by a mere pardon of sin, than Adam, 
our first surety, was justified by the law, at the first 
point of his existence, before he had fulfilled the obe- 
dience of the law, or had so much as any trial whether 
he would fulfil it or no. If Adam had finished his 
course of perfect obedience, he would have been justi- 
fied ; and certainly his justification would have implied 
something more than what is merely negative ; he 
would have been approved of, as having fulfilled the 
righteousness of the law, and accordingly would have 
been adjudged to the reward of it. So Christ, our 
second surety, (in whose justification all, whose surety 
he is, are virtually justified) was not justified till he 
had done the work the Father had appointed him, and 
kept the Father's commandments through all trials ; 
and then in his resurrection he was justified. Wheu 
18* 



210 JUSTIFICATION — ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST. 

he had been put to death in the flesh, but quickened 
by the Spirit, (1 Pet. iii. 18,) then he that was mani- 
fest in the flesh was justified in the Spirit, (1 Tim. iii. 
16); but God, when he justified him in raising him 
from the dead, did not only release him from his hu- 
miliation for sin, and acquit him from any further suf- 
fering or abasement for it, but admitted him to that 
eternal and immortal life, and to the beginning of that 
exaltation, which was the reward of what he had done. 
And indeed the justification of a believer is no other 
than his being admitted to communion in the justifica- 
tion of this head and surety of all believers ; for as 
Christ sufi*ered the punishment of sin, not as a private 
person, but as our surety ; so when after this sufl*ering 
he was raised from the dead, he was therein justified, 
not as a private person, but as the surety and repre- 
sentative of all that should believe in him. So that he 
was raised again not only for his own, but also for our 
justification, Rom. iv. 25; 'who was delivered for 
our ofi'ences, and raised for our justification.' And 
therefore it is that the apostle says as he does in Rom. 
viii. 34, ' Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ 
that died, yea rather, that is risen again.' " 

This great writer says yet more on the subject, but 
surely enough has been quoted incontestably to prove 
that he held that pardon w^as not the whole of justifi- 
cation. If any man shall hereafter claim him on that 
side, he must either betray great ignorance, or crimi- 
nal perverseness of mind. 

The bitterness, with which the present defenders of 
orthodox views in this matter, are assailed must justify 
the making of an extract from Dr. Thomas Scott : 
" The justification of a sinner must imply something 



JUSTIFICATION — ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST. 211 

distinct from a total and final remission of the deserved 
punishment ; namely a renewed title to the reward of 
righteousness, as complete and effective as he would 
have had if he had never sinned, but had perfectly 
performed, during the term of his probation, all the 
demands of the divine law. The remission of sins 
would indeed place him in such a state, that no charge 
would lie against him ; but then he would have no 
title to the reward of righteousness, till he had ob- 
tained it by performing, for the appointed time, the 
whole obedience required of him ; for he would merely 
be re-admitted to a state of probation, and his justifi- 
cation or condemnation could not be decided till that 
were terminated. But the justification of the pardoned 
sinner gives him a present title to the reward of right- 
eousness, independent of his future conduct, as well as 
without respect to his past actions. This is evidently 
the scriptural idea of justification : it is uniformly 
represented as immediate and complete, when the sin- 
ner believes in the Lord Jesus Christ ; and not as a 
contingent advantage to be waited for till death or 
judgment : and the arguments, which some learned 
men have adduced, to prove that justification means 
nothing else than forgiveness of sins, only show that 
the two distinct blessings are never separately con- 
ferred. David, for instance, says, 'Blessed is the 
man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity ;' and 
Paul observes that in that passage, ' David describeth 
the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth 
righteousness without works.' This does not prove, 
that 'not imputing sin,' and 'imputing righteousness' 
are synonymous terms : but merely, that where God 
does not impute sin^ he does impute righteousness j 



212 JUSTIFICATION — ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST. 

and that he confers the title to eternal life, on all those 
whom he rescues from eternal death. Indeed exemp- 
tion from eternal punishment^ and a right to an actual 
and vast reward^ are such distinct things, that one 
cannot but wonder they should be so generally con- 
founded as they are in theological discussions." 

These extracts from Scott and Edwards have been pur- 
posely given at length, because they fairly and cogently 
argue the question, because these writers are remarkable 
for sound and clear discrimination, because they were 
eminently earnest and deeply experienced Christians, 
because above most they were Bible theologians, and 
because they justly have great weight with good and 
sober people in settling the opinions of the wavering. 
It would be easy to swell the testimonies to this pre- 
cious truth to a great number. Take the following as 
the only additional witness now offered. The latter 
Confession of Helvetia says : '' To justify, in the 
apostle's disputation concerning justification, doth sig- 
nify to remit sins, to absolve from the fault and pun- 
ishment thereof, to receive into favour, to pronounce a 
man just." Still our dependence is on God's precious 
word for all our doctrinal principles. There we find 
the remission and the reward both stated. Jesus 
Christ says, ^'Verily I say unto you, he that heareth 
my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath 
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation ; 
but is passed from death unto life." John v. 24. Here 
life and death, everlasting life and condemnation are 
opposite, and justification by faith is described, not 
merely as escape from death and condemnation, but 
as a passage already made from death unto life. In 
Acts xiii. 38, 39, are these words also : " Be it known 
unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through 



JUSTIFICATION — ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST. 213 

this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins ; 
and by him all that believe are justified from all things, 
from which ye could not be justified by the law of 
Moses/' So Christ sent Paul to preach to the gen- 
tiles, ''that they might receive forgiveness of sins, and 
inheritance among them which are sanctified." Acts 
xxvi. 18. Here both the blessings are distinctly stated 
as flowing from Christ. So in Rom. v. 1, 2, " There- 
fore being justified by faith, we have peace with God 
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have 
access into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in 
hope of the glory of God." Surely, the second verse 
here is not mere tautology. By the pardon of sin 
*' there is no condemnation" to the believer; by his 
acceptance in the Beloved, " he is made an heir accord- 
ing to the hope of eternal life." Rom. viii. 1 ; Titus 
iii. 7. If the distinction has not been made clear, and 
also well established, perhaps it is hardly necessary to 
spend more time upon it. Its importance may be seen 
by asking, what is the true state of believers ? Are 
they merely a company of pardoned wretches ? or are 
they a glorious family of adopted children ? Are they 
merely turned out of prison to wander at large ? or 
are they through Christ entitled to eternal glory ? 
Do they stand before God's tribunal as a reprieved 
felon stands before his king? or have they "a right to 
the tree of life ?" Rev. xxii. But we are already 
trenching upon the subject of the next chapter, viz : 
the imputed righteousness of Christ. May this and 
that be a blessing to many a child of God. that 
God's people knew their privileges and rejoiced in 
them continually. And '' whilst we carry a sense of 
grace in our conscience to comfort us, let us carry a 
sense of sin in our memory to humble us/' 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

JUSTIFICATION — CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS IS IMPUTED 
TO BELIEVERS. 

As our works are the works of sinners we must 
either stand before God, covered with the filthy rags 
of our own righteousness, or we must obtain some bet- 
ter righteousness than we are capable of working out 
for ourselves. We must either be justified by God 
without any cause, and this would be both connivance 
at sin and approbation of it, to assert which of God 
would be blasphemy ; or by works in their nature im- 
perfect and sinful, as all ours confessedly are, and that 
would be an admission that the law had once demanded 
too much ; or by the all-perfect work and infinite 
merit of Jesus Christ. This last is God's published 
plan. Christ is " the Lord our righteousness." The 
end of his life on earth was that he might be the end 
of the law for righteousness to every one that be- 
lieveth. His righteousness is not imparted, but im- 
puted to us. It does not cure our corruption, but it 
covers our nakedness. It is not infused into us, but it 
is reckoned to us. It is not inherent in us, but it is 
set down to our account. We do not imbibe it, but we 
are invested with it. We are not imbued but endued 
with it. It does not give us a fitness for heaven, but a 
title to it. It is not Christ's work in us, but his work 
and sufferings for us, which give us an indefeasible 
(214) 



CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS. 215 

title to the privileges of sons of God. To enter the 
kingdom of God without a right would make us stand 
before him as presumptuous intruders, called by Christ 
^Uhieves and robbers, who had climbed up some other 
way/' To enter it with a title less perfect than the 
law requires would be exalting mercy at the expense of 
justice, and relaxing all the bonds of God's moral 
government. To enter it with a title based upon our 
own merits would be a public and uncontradicted de- 
nial of our guilt and ruin. But here is Jehovah's 
way. " The grace of God, and the gift by grace, 
which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto 
many." " They which receive abundance of grace and 
of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, 
Jesus Christ." " By the righteousness of one the free 
gift came upon all men unto justification of life." " By 
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." 
'' Our righteousness," says Calvin, "is not in ourselves 
but in Christ. ' As by one man's disobedience many 
were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall 
many be made righteous.' What is placing our right- 
eousness in the obedience of Christ, but asserting that 
we are accounted righteous only because his obedience 
is accepted for us as if it were our own?" 

Such Scriptures and such reasonings settle to the 
satisfaction of the great mass of God's people the 
truth of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to 
his people. The righteousness by which a sinner 
stands accepted is called the righteousness of God, be- 
cause it is in opposition to the righteousness of men, 
because God provided and approves it and none other, 
and because he puts great honour upon it. It is called 
the righteousness of Christ, because our Lord Jesus^ 



216 Christ's kighteousness 

Christ, being made under the law, was obedient to all 
its precepts, and suffered its dreadful penalty for us, 
and so himself brought in everlasting righteousness 
for us. It is called the righteousness of faith, because 
it is apprehended and appropriated by faith. It is not 
a righteousness secured by working, but by believing. 
" We are justified by faith." This righteousness is at 
least once called the righteousness of the law, because 
in its absolute perfection it is all that the moral law, 
spotless and eternal, demands for the justification of a 
sinner in the sight of God. It may well excite amaze- 
ment that the doctrine of the imputation of Christ's 
righteousness should be so violently opposed as it some- 
times is. Owen says : " In our day nothing in reli- 
gion is more maligned, more reproached, more despised, 
than the imputation of righteousness unto us, or our 
imputed righteousness." Dr. Thomas Scott says, 
^' the proud heart of man is prone to deny, or object 
to it, even with blasphemous enmity." And Dr. Archi- 
bald Alexander says: ''No part of evangelical doc- 
trine has met with a more determined opposition than 
the doctrine of imputation. It has been loaded with 
reproaches, as a doctrine the most unreasonable, the 
most dangerous, and the most impious. It is a remark- 
able circumstance, however, that all the objections, 
which have been made to it, are founded on a misap- 
prehension or a misrepresentation of the true nature 
of imputation." It is said that a divine of our own 
country has been so far left to himself as to say pub- 
licly that " imputed righteousness is imputed non- 
sense." The motives of those, Avho revile this doctrine, 
will be judged by Him, who cannot err. No human 
tribunal is competent to pronounce upon them. But 



IS IMPUTED TO BELIEVERS. 217 

the pretended arguments brought against the doctrine 
of the imputation of Christ's merits to his people, as 
they have often been, so they should again and again 
be fully and fairly answered. He who defends, and 
he who assails, this doctrine are busied at a vital point 
of Christianity. Some have really held and taught 
the substance of this doctrine, and yet rejected the 
term, imputation. If any ask, why we should insist 
on the use of the term and not yield it to such persons 
and others, the answer is ready. First^ we have the 
example of inspired men on our side. Psa. xxxii. 2, 
and 2 Cor. v. 9 ; Rom. iv. 6, 11, 23—25. If David 
and Paul use the word, why may not we also ? If any 
man should propose to banish the word redemption 
from our theological vocabulary, what friend of truth 
would consent to it? Iinputed righteousness is and 
ought to be just as dear to millions of God's people 
as redemption. Secondly^ we could not get on well 
without this term. It conveys the very idea we wish 
to present in the pulpit and in our writings. If a man 
gives due notice that henceforth he will always call a 
hat a spade, it cannot fairly be said that he deceives 
any one by such a freak, but surely he will give 
trouble both to himself and his friends. Nor will he 
gain any good, unless he esteems the reputation of sin- 
gularity such. And he may mislead some one. 
Thirdly^ good theological terms are not easily obtained 
and agreed upon ; and when they are settled they be- 
come out-posts to important truths, and should not be 
surrendered. The man, who asks that the people of 
the United States shall no more use the phrases, re- 
publican government, union, federative system, rights 
of the States, is either not honest, or he is very weak. 
19 



218 Christ's righteousness 

It is an old art of enemies to assault and of traitors 
to surrender the out-posts. Fourtldy^ this phrase has 
long been in use, is incorporated into many symbols 
of faith, into many manuals of Christian doctrine, and 
into nearly all bodies of divinity, and so ought not to 
be given up. Those who have objected to it have 
suggested no better, indeed none so good. The Swiss 
Reformers in the latter Confession of Helvetia say: 
^' God imputeth the righteousness of Christ unto us 
for our own : so that now we are not only cleansed from 
our sin, and purged, and holy, but also endued with 
the righteousness of Christ. * * To speak properly, 
then ; it is God alone that justifieth us, and that only 
for Christ, by not imputing unto us our sin, but imput- 
ing Christ's righteousness unto us." Rom. iv. 23 — 25. 
The Augsburg Confession says : '^ When therefore we 
do say, that 'we are justified by faith,' Rom. v. 1, this 
is our meaning : that we do obtain remission of sins, 
and imputation of righteousness, by mercy showed us 
for Christ's sake." The confession of France says: 
'^ Casting away all opinion of virtues and merits, we 
do altogether rest in the only obedience of Jesus 
Christ, which is imputed to us, both that all our sins 
may be covered, and that we may obtain grace before 
God." The Confession of Saxony says: "Christ 
himself is our righteousness, because that by his merit 
we have remission, and God doth impute his righteous- 
ness to us, and for him doth account us just." The 
Confession of Belgia says : '^ Christ himself is our 
righteousness, which imputeth all his merits unto us : 
faith is but the instrument, whereby w^e are coupled 
unto him." The Church of England says: ''We are 
accounted righteous before God only for the merits of 



IS IMPUTED TO BELIEVERS. 210 

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith ; and not 
for our own works or deservings, wherefore, that wc 
are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doc- 
trine and full of comfort." The Church of Ireland 
says: ''We are accounted righteous before God, only 
for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
applied by faith. And this righteousness, w^hich we 
receive of God's mercy, and Christ's merits, embraced 
by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God, for 
our perfect and full justification." The Confession of 
Wirtemburg says, that " man is made acceptable to 
God and accounted just before him for the only Son 
of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, through faith ; and 
when we appear before the judgment-seat of God, 
we must not trust to the merit of any of those virtues, 
which we have, but only to the merit of our Lord Je- 
sus Christ, whose merit is ours by faith." The Con- 
fession of Sueveland says : " This whole justification 
is to be ascribed to the good pleasure of God, and to 
the merit of Christ, and to be received by faith alone." 
John i. 12, 13, Eph. ii. 8—10. The Savoy, the Cam- 
bridge and the Boston Congregational Confessions, 
and the London and Philadelphia Baptist Confessions 
hold forth these very words : " Those, whom God 
effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not by in- 
fusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their 
sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as 
righteous ; not for anything wrought in them, or done 
by them, but for Christ's sake alone ; not by imputing 
faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evange- 
lical obedience to them as their righteousness, but by 
imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, 
and passive obedience in his"^^ death, for their whole 
* The Baptist has *' sufferings and^^ before *^ death.^' 



220 CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS 

and sole righteousness ; they receiving, and resting on 
him and his righteousness by faith." It is well known 
that all branches of the Presbyterian Church in North 
America and in Great Britain and her colonies, with 
the exception of a few Arians in Ireland and a few 
Unitarians in England, who for some reason wear the 
Presbyterian name, use almost verbatim the same for- 
mula on this subject. 

The Heidelberg Catechism thus speaks : 

'^ 56. What believest thou concerning the forgive- 
ness of sins ? 

'^That God, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction, will 
no more remember my sins, neither my corrupt nature, 
against which I have to struggle all my life long, but 
will graciously impute to me the righteousness of 
Christ, that I may never be condemned before the tri- 
bunal of God. 

" 59. But what doth it profit thee that thou believest 
all this ? 

''That I am righteous in Christ, before God, and an 
lieir of eternal life. 

" 60. How art thou righteous before God ? 

" Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ ; so that, though 
my conscience accuse me that I have grossly trans- 
gressed all the commands of God, and kept none of 
them, and am still inclined to all evil ; notwithstand- 
ing God, without any merit of mine, but only of mere 
grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfac- 
tion, righteousness, and holiness of Christ ; even so, 
as if I never had had, nor committed any sin ; yea, as 
if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which 
Christ hath accomplished for me ; inasmuch as I em- 
brace such benefit with a believing heart. 



IS IMPUTED TO BELIEVERS. 221 

" 61. Why sayest thou that thou art righteous by 
faith only ? 

''Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the 
■worthiness of my faith, but only because the satisfac- 
tion, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my right- 
eousness before God, and that I cannot receive and 
apply the same to myself any other way than by faith 
only." 

The Welch Calvinistic Methodists' Confession says : 
" Justification is an act of the grace of God, judging 
and proclaiming man to be righteous, through imputing 
to him the righteousness of Christ, which is received 
by the sinner through faith." "Justification includes 
in itself a forgiveness to the transgressor of all his 
iniquities, so that he shall not die on their account ; an 
exaltation of the person to the favour of God ; and a 
bestowing on him a lawful right to enjoy never-ending 
happiness." 

We are made the righteousness of God in Christ, 
in the same sense in which he was made sin for us. 
As his receiving the curse for us did not defile his soul, 
or make him personally ill-deserving, so our receiving 
the blessing does not make us pure or personally meri- 
torious. We are made righteous in Christ in the same 
way, in which we are made sinners in Adam. In 
neither case is there an identity of person. In neither 
case do the personal acts or qualities of these our re- 
presentatives become our acts or qualities. In both 
cases are we counted, reckoned, regarded, held and 
treated in law as if they were ours. As Christ did 
none of the acts which were imputed to him for expia- 
tion, so we have done none of the acts, which are im- 
puted to us for justification. 
19^ 



222 cnmsT's ihghteousness 

Men sometimes say, How can we be justified by a 
righteousness not our own ? It is freely admitted that 
our justifying righteousness is not inherently ours. 
Nor is it in any sense so ours that we can proudly 
boast of it, and so deny that in ourselves we are per- 
ishing sinners. Nor is our justifying righteousness 
ours by any hereditary right, nor until God imputes 
it to us, and we receive it by faith. But if the ob- 
jectors mean that when we believe in the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and God imputes his righteousness to us, it does 
not become ours in the eye of the law, then they do 
contradict God's word and the sense of God's people 
in all ages. How is he ''Jehovah our righteousness j'' 
(Jer. xxiii. 6,) if his merits in no sense become ours ? 
If these objectors are right, what sense is there in such 
passages of Scripture as those already quoted from the 
fifth chapter of Romans ? or what is the meaning of 
these words : " Christ is the end of the law for right- 
eousness to every one that believeth ?" Rom. x. 4 ; or 
of this, '' Christ is of God made unto us righteous- 
ness?" 1 Cor. i. 30; or of this, ''He hath made him 
to be . sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be 
made the righteousness of God in him?" 2 Cor. v. 21, 
See also Rom. iv, 5, 6, and Gal. iii. 6, 9, 22. Augus- 
tine says : " There is a righteousness of God, which is 
made ours, when it is given unto us. It is called the 
righteousness of God, lest man should think that he 
had a righteousness of himself." Cowper says : " The 
righteousness of Christ is ours, and ours by as great a 
right, as any other thing which we possess ; to wit, by 
the free gift of God ; for it both pleased him to give 
a garment to us, who are naked, and to give us, who 
had none of our own, a righteousness answerable to 



IS IMPUTED TO BELIEVERS. 223 

justice/' Dr. A. Alexander says : " Whatever Christ 
has done or suffered for our salvation, in order that it 
may be available to us, must in some way become 
ours.'' Again: "When God imputes the righteous- 
ness of Christ to a sinner, he actually bestows it upon 
him for all the purposes of his complete justification." 
The doctrine commonly held by the Church of God is, 
that what Christ has done and suffered for his people 
becomes actually and legally theirs, in the sight of God, 
in virtue of their union with him. So that we do not, 
we dare not teach that a man is justified by a right- 
eousness in no sense his own. The great difference be- 
tween saints and sinners in the matter of justification 
is, that the former are partakers of the righteousness 
of Christ, and the latter are not. No man has a title 
to anything better than this, that God gave it to him. 
This is our title to life, to reason, to our souls, to im- 
mortality. This is the believer's claim to the infinite 
merits of Christ. 

Ridgley says that, " there are some who oppose this 
doctrine, by calling it a putative righteousness, the 
shadow or appearance of that, which has in it no re- 
ality, or our being accounted what we are not, whereby 
a wrong judgment is passed on persons and things. 
However, we are not to deny it because it is thus mis- 
represented, and thereby unfairly opposed. It is cer- 
tain there are such words used in Scripture, and often 
applied to this doctrine, which without any- ambiguity 
or strain on the sense thereof, may be translated, to 
reckon, to account, or to place a thing done by another 
to our account ; or, as we express it, to impute." * * 
" This is the most perverse sense which can be put on 
words, or is a setting this doctrine in such a light as 



224 CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS 

no one takes it in, who pleads for it/' The truth is 
that the judgment of God is always according to truth ; 
and the doctrine maintained is not that God regards us 
as having done acts, which were performed by Christ, 
nor that Jehovah has any false estimate of us whatever, 
nor that God reputes us as being in ourselves worthy, 
when the fact is that we are in ourselves wholly un- 
worthy, nor that anything respecting our case has been 
ignored by the Almighty. But it is simply that God 
looks upon believers in Christ as one with the Saviour, 
that Christ's righteousness is counted, reckoned to them 
for righteousness, or that as their surety he meets all 
the demands of the law on them as transgressors, and 
makes over to them his perfect obedience as ground of 
their acceptance with God. 

It is sometimes said that the doctrine of imputed 
righteousness sets aside the fulfilment of the law. But 
this is surely a mistake. Paul says, that God sent his 
Son to the very end '' that the righteousness of the 
law might be fulfilled in us.^' And Dr. Gill well says 
that '' though righteousness does not come by our obe- 
dience to the law, yet it does by Christ's obedience to 
it. Though by the deeds of the law as performed by 
man, no flesh shall be justified, yet by the deeds of the 
law as performed by Christ, all the elect are justified." 
So that now '' if we confess our sins, God is faithful 
and JUST to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from 
all unrighteousness." 1 John i. 9. On any other 
scheme than that, which is here contended for, what 
sense is there in the word, just, in the text last quoted ? 
If the import of the objection is that the doctrine is 
unfriendly to the promotion of holiness among men, 
the answers ^re ready. In Romans vi. 1, 2, Paul 



IS IMPUTED TO BELIEVERS. 225 

meets this objection thus : " What shall Ave say then ? 
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound ? God 
forbid ; how shall we, that are dead to sin, live any 
longer therein?'' In that and the next chapter he 
says much more to the same effect. Besides, the 
whole gospel plan goes on the supposition that the 
strongest motive, which can incline man's heart to ho- 
liness, is love. Now " love is the fulfilling of the law." 
" We love him because he first loved us." " The love 
of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that 
if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he 
died for all, that they which live should not henceforth 
live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them." 
And the facts are all on one side. It would be impos- 
sible to find in any age an eminently holy man, who 
did not openly declare that his hope was in God's 
mercy, not in his own doings, in the righteousness of 
Christ, not in his own deservings. There was as much 
agreement among the Reformed churches, for more 
than two hundred years from the days of Luther and 
Calvin, in receiving this doctrine, as that of the divinity 
of Christ, or the personality of the Holy Ghost. 

Some say, if we are justified on the ground of the 
merits of Christ, where are the grace and mercy of 
the gospel ? The answer is that God's rich grace and 
abundant mercy shine forth in the whole work of sal- 
vation from first to last. The whole devising, execu- 
tion, application and crowning of redemption flow from 
God's boundless grace, and infinite, eternal, and un- 
changeable love. Grace is not connivance at sin. 
Mercy is not contempt of law. The grace of Christ 
vindicates the justice and government of God, while 
it brings salvation to the guilty. Hear the language 



226 Christ's righteousness 

of the Baptist and Congregational Confessions, which 
have been already quoted in this chapter : " Christ by 
his obedience and death did fully discharge the debt 
of all those that are justified, and did by the sacrifice 
of himself, in the blood of his cross, undergoing in 
their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, 
real and full satisfaction to God's justice in their be- 
half; yet inasmuch as he was given by the Father for 
them, and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in 
their stead, and both freely, not for anything in them, 
their justification is only of free grace, that both the 
exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified 
in the justification of sinners." The Presbyterian 
Confession has nearly the same words. To the ques- 
tion, ^'if our justification be thus purchased by the 
perfect obedience and satisfaction of Christ, how is it 
of free grace ?" the Rev. Thomas Boston replies, 
"Very well; for 1. God accepted of a surety, when 
he might have held by the sinner himself, and insisted 
that the soul that sinned might die. Rom. v. 8. * * 
God did this freely. 2. God himself provided the 
Surety. John iii. 16. * * The Father gives the Son, 
and the Son assumes man's nature and pays the debt. 
What is there here but riches of grace to the justified 
sinner ? 3. God demands nothing of us [in payment] 
for it. It is a rich purchase, a dear purchase, the 
price of blood ; but the righteousness and justification 
are given to us most freely through faith. That is, we 
have it, for Hake-and-liave' And the very hand, 
wherewith we receive it, namely faith, is the free gift 
of God unto us. Eph. ii. 8. So that most evident it 
is that we are justified freely by his grace." Calvin 
says : " It betrays ignorance to oppose the merit of 



IS IMPUTED TO BELIEVERS. 227 

Christ to the mercy of God. For it is a common 
maxim, that between two things, of which one succeeds 
or is subordinate to the other, there can be no opposi- 
tion. There is no reason therefore why the justifica- 
tion of men should not be gratuitous from the mere 
mercy of God, and why at the same time the merit of 
Christ should not intervene, which is subservient to 
the mercy of God.'' Thus the doctrine has been ex- 
plained, it has been proven from Scripture, it has been 
shown to be interw^oven with our best formulas of doc- 
trine, and objections to it have been answered. In the 
next chapter some additional testimonies in its favour 
will be given. 



CHAPTER XXVII, 



JUSTIFICATION. — IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. — ADDI- 
TIONAL TESTIMONIES. 

There is hardly anything more gratifying to the 
pious mind than to discover an agreement between its 
own conclusions and those of great and good men, who 
have lived in former generations. They may indeed 
have been mistaken, and so they are no standai^d to 
us ; yet when their number is large, when they lived 
in different ages and countries, and yet were led by 
honest inquiry and much prayer to the same results, 
and when their well-earned reputation for piety, love 
of truth and diligence in study, create a strong pre- 
sumption in favour of their united testimony, a good 
man will very carefully examine the grounds of his 
conclusions before he will refuse to adopt their senti- 
ments, especially where they have all put much honour 
on God's holy word. In other chapters of this work 
many such witnesses have been adduced. But this 
chapter will consist chiefly of the views of others on 
the subject in hand. The language of God's people 
often varies considerably, but the sense of the follow- 
ing quotations is clearly confirmatory of our doctrine. 
Having already noticed the views of the writers of the 
first five centuries, the first now given is that of 
Gregory. He says : " Our righteous Advocate shall 
defend us in the day of judgment^ because we know 
(228) 



IMPUTED lUGHTEOUSNESS. 229 

and accuse ourselves to be unrighteous. Therefore let 
us not trust to our tears, nor to our actions, but to the 
alleging of our Advocate." 

Calvin remarking on Rom. v. 19, says : " The mean- 
ing is, that as by the sin of Adam we were alienated 
from God, and devoted to destruction, so by the obe- 
dience of Christ we are received into favour, as right- 
eous persons. Nor does the future tense of the verb 
exclude present righteousness ; as appears from the 
context. For he had before said, " The free gift is of 
many offences unto justification." Again, "if right- 
eousness consist in an observance of the law, who can 
deny that Christ merited favour for us, when by bear- 
ing this burden himself he reconciles us to God, just as 
though we were complete observers of the law our- 
selves." 

Bishop Latimer says : " When we believe in Christ, 
it is like as if we had no sins. For he changeth with 
us. He taketh our sins and wickedness from us, and 
giveth unto us his holiness, righteousness, justice, ful- 
filling of the law, and so consequently everlasting life. 
So that we be like as if we had done no sin at all ; for 
his righteousness standeth us in good stead, as though 
we of our own selves had fulfilled the law." 

Bishop Hooper says : " We must only trust to the 
merits of Christ, which satisfied the extreme jot and 
uttermost point of the law for us. And this his justice 
and perfection he imputeth and communicateth with 
us by faith." 

Richard Hooker says: "Although in ourselves we 

be altogether sinful and unrighteous, yet even the man 

which is impious in himself, full of iniquity, full of 

sin, him being found in Christ through faith, and 

20 



230 ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIES. 

having his sin remitted through repentance, him God 
beholdeth with a gracious eye, putteth away his sin by 
not imputing it, takcth quite away the punishment due 
thereunto by pardoning it, and accepteth him in Jesus 
Christ as perfectly righteous, as if he had fulfilled all 
that was commanded him in the law ; shall I say more 
perfectly righteous than if himself had fulfilled the 
whole law ? I must take heed what I say : but the 
apostle saith, ' God made him to be sin for us, who 
knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness 
of God in him.' Such we are in the sight of God the 
Father, as is the very Son of God himself. Let it be 
counted folly or frenzy, or fury, whatsoever, it is our 
comfort and our wisdom ; we care for no knowledge in 
the world but this, that man hath sinned and God hath 
suffered ; that God hath made himself the Son of man, 
and that men are made the righteousness of God." 

Grotius says : " Whereas we have said that Christ 
hath brought forth or procured two things for us, free- 
dom from punishment and a reward, the ancient 
church attributes the one of them unto his satisfaction, 
the other unto his merit. Satisfaction consists in the 
translation of sins, merit in the imputation of his most 
perfect obedience performed for us." 

Bates says : " There are but two ways of appearing 
before the righteous and supreme Judge : 1. In inno- 
cence and sinless obedience : or, 2. by the righteous- 
ness of Christ. The one is by the law, the other by 
grace. And these two can never be compounded ; for 
he that pleads innocence, in that disclaims favour ; 
and he that sues for favour acknowledges guilt. Now 
the first cannot be performed by us. For entire obe- 
dience to the law supposes the integrity of our natures, 



IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. 231 

there being a moral impossibility that the faculties 
once corrupted should act regularly ; but man is 
stained with original sin from his conception. And 
the form of the law runs universally, ' cursed is every 
one that continueth not in all things, written in the 
book of the law to do them.' In these scales one evil 
AYork preponderates a thousand good. If a man were 
guilty of but one single error, his entire obedience af- 
terwards could not save him ; for that being always 
due to the law, the payment of it cannot discount for 
the former debt. So that we cannot in any degree be 
justified by the law ; for there is no middle between 
transgressing and not transgressing it. He that breaks 
one article in a covenant cuts off his claim to any 
benefit from it. * * Whoever presumes to appear be- 
fore God's judgment-seat in his own righteousness shall 
be covered with confusion. 

"2, By the righteousness of Christ. This alone ab- 
solves from the guilt of sin, saves from hell and can 
endure the trial of God's tribunal. This the apostle 
prized as his invaluable treasure, in comparison of 
which all other things are but dross and dung. * * 
That which is ordained, and rewarded in the person 
of our Redeemer, God cannot but accept. Now this 
righteousness is meritoriously imputed only to be- 
lievers. * * As all sins are mortal in respect of their 
guilt, but death is not actually inflicted for them, upon 
the account of the grace of the new covenant ; so all 
sins are venial in respect of the satisfaction made by 
Christ ; but they are not actually pardoned, till the 
performing of the condition, to which pardon is an- 
nexed. Faith transfers the guilt from the sinner to 
the sacrifice." 



232 ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIES. 

Leighton says : " This is the great glad tidings, that 
we are made righteous by Christ ; it is not a right- 
eousness wrought by us, but given to us, and put upon 
us. This carnal reason cannot comprehend, and being 
proud, therefore rejects and argues against it, saying, 
IIow can this thing be ^ But faith closes with it, and 
rejoices in it. Without either doing or suffering, the 
sinner is acquitted, and justified, and stands as guilt- 
less of breach, yea, as having fulfilled the whole law. 
And happy they that thus fasten upon this righteous- 
ness, that they may lift up their faces with gladness 
and boldness before God ; whereas the most industri- 
ous, self-saving justiciary, though in other men's eyes 
and his own, possibly for the present, he makes a glit- 
tering show, yet when he shall come to be examined 
of God, and tried according to the law, shall be covered 
with shame, and confounded in his folly and guilti- 
ness." 

Owen says : " There is an imputation of mere grace 
and favour. And this is, when that which antece- 
dently unto the imputation was no way ours, not inhe- 
rent in us, not performed by us, which we had no right 
nor title unto, is granted unto us, made ours, so as 
that we are judged of, and dealt with according unto 
it. This is that imputation in both branches of it, 
negative in the non-imputation of sin, and positive in 
the imputation of righteousness, which the apostle so 
vehemently pleads for, and so frequently asserteth. 
Eom. iv. For he both affirms the thing itself, and 
declares that it is of mere grace, without respect unto 
anything within ourselves. And if this kind of impu- 
tation cannot be fully exemplified in any other in- 
stance, but this alone, whereof we treat, it is because 



IMrUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. 233 

the foundation of it in the mediation of Christ is sin- 
gular, and that which there is nothing to parallel in 
any other case." ''The imputation we plead for is 
not a judging or esteeming of them to be righteous, 
who truly and really are not so.'' In imputation God 
^' makes an effectual grant and donation of a true, real, 
perfect righteousness, even that of Christ himself unto 
all that do believe, and accounting it as theirs, on his 
own gracious act, both absolves them from sin, and 
granteth them right and title unto eternal life. In 
this imputation, the thing itself is first imputed unto 
us, and not any of the effects of it, but they are made 
ours by virtue of that imputation." ''To say the 
righteousness of Christ is not imputed unto us, only 
its effects are so, is really to overthrow all imputation." 

Charnock says: "All the world stands guilty be- 
fore God ; cannot present God with a righteousness of 
their own commensurate to the law ; not one act any 
man can do can bear proportion to it ; all strength to 
do anything suitable to it was lost in Adam. Since 
no righteousness of our own can justify, it must be the 
righteousness of the Son of God, which must be im- 
puted to us in the same manner our sins were im- 
puted to him ; as it is accepted by God for us, so it is 
accounted by God to us. 2 Cor. v. 21. Sin was in us, 
but charged upon Christ ; righteousness is in Christ, 
and imputed to us." 

Tuckney says : " We are made the righteousness of 
God in Christ in the same way that he was made sin 
for us, that is, by imputation." 

Ryland says: "Justification by Christ's imputed 
righteousness is the centre arch of that bridge, by 
which we pass out of time into a blissful eternity." 
20* 



234 ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIES. 

John Willison -vvhen near death ejaculated : ^^ I am 
living on the righteousness of Christ, yea dying in the 
Lord. * * It is not past experiences or manifestations 
I depend upon ; it is Christ, a present, all-suflBcient 
Saviour, and perfect righteousness in him, I look to. 
All my attainments are but loss and dung besides 
him." 

Bunyan said : '' There is no other way for sinners 
to be justified from the curse of the law, in the sight 
of God, than by the imputation of that righteousness 
long ago performed by, and still residing with the per- 
son of Jesus Christ." 

The author of the sermon on justification in the 
"Morning Exercises" published in 1675 says: " To be 
justified is to be freely accepted of God as righteous, 
so as to have pardon and title to life, upon the account 
of Christ's righteousness. We cannot be accepted as 
righteous till we be acquitted from guilt." " There are 
these severals considerable about the imputing this 
righteousness ; first, substitution ; Christ satisfied in 
our stead, i. e. he tendered that which was due from 
us. Secondly, acceptance ; the Father accepted what 
Christ performed in our stead, as performed on our 
behalf. Thirdly, participation ; we have the fruits 
and advantages of his undertaking, no less than if we 
ourselves had satisfied." 

Stedman says : " The first blessing that I shall men- 
tion as depending upon union with Jesus Christ is the 
justification of a sinner in the sight of Grod, upon the 
account of Christ's righteousness imputed to him; 
whereby the guilt of sin is removed, and the person of 
the sinner accepted as righteous with the God of hea- 
ven." " The only matter of man's righteousness since 



IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. 235 

the fall of Adam, wherein he can appear with comfort 
before the justice of God, and consequently whereby 
alone he can be justified in his sight, is the obedience 
and sufferings of Jesus Christ, the righteousness of 
the Mediator." 

Wilcox says: ^'If thou ever sawest Christ, thou 
sawest him a rock higher than self-righteousness, Sa- 
tan and sin, and this rock doth follow thee ; and there 
will be a continual dropping of honey and grace, out 
of this rock, to satisfy thee." 

Crisp says : " These are the sure mercies of David, 
when a man receives the things of Christ, only because 
Christ gives them ; and not in regard of any action of 
ours, as the ground of taking them. Christ is not 
more rich in himself than he is liberal to contribute of 
his treasures. He makes his people sharers to the 
uttermost of all that he has." 

Bengel says : " The law presseth on a man, till he 
flees to Christ : then it says, Thou hast gotten a refuge. 
I forbear to follow thee. Thou art wise. Thou art 
safe." 

Glascock says : " The grand design of all false reli- 
gion is to patch up a righteousness for the justification 
of the sinner before God. The Christian religion 
teaches us to seek justification before God by the im- 
putation of Christ's righteousness to us upon our be- 
lieving on him. The denial of a believer's justifica- 
tion, by the imputation of Christ's righteousness to 
him, stabs the very heart of Christianity, and destroys 
all true revealed relio-ion." 

Philip Henry cried: ^'Lord, clothe me with thy 
righteousness, which is a comely, costly, lasting, ever- 
lasting garment." 



236 ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIES. 

Richard Taylor says : " Christ will only be a strength 
to them that trust in him for righteousness ; they, that 
will not have him for righteousness, shall not have 
him for their strength, to enable them to resist tempta- 
tions, to mortify sin and corruption, and to bring forth 
the fruits of holiness." 

During the last century there arose a philanthropic 
Englishman, whose deeds of mercy have resounded 
throughout the civilized world. '' He visited," says 
Burke, ''all Europe — not to survey the sumptuous- 
ness of palaces, or the stateliness of temples, not to 
make accurate measurements of the remains of ancient 
grandeur, nor to form a scale of the curiosity of mo- 
dern art ; not to collect medals, or collate manuscripts: 
— but to dive into the depths of dungeons ; to plunge 
into the infection of hospitals ; to survey the mansions 
of sorrow and pain ; to take the gauge and dimensions 
of misery, depression, and contempt; to remember the 
forgotten, to attend to the neglected, to visit the for- 
saken, and to compare and collate the distresses of all 
men in all countries. His plan is original ; and it is 
as full of genius as it is of humanity. It was a voyage 
of discovery ; a circumnavigation of charity. Already 
the benefit of his labour is felt in every country : I 
hope he will anticipate his final reward, by seeing all 
its effects fully realized in his own." Now would it 
not be instructive, if we could penetrate the hidden 
recesses of Howard's thoughts, and find out what gave 
him this heavenly zeal ? He himself has told us in one 
of the most solemn acts of his life. The inscription, 
which he directed to be put on his tomb, besides his 
name and some dates, was this : " Christ is my hope." 

Hervey says : '' Had I all the faith of the patri- 



IMPUTED KIGIITEOUSNESS. 237 

arclis, all the zeal of the prophets, all the good works 
of the apostles, all the holy sufferings of the martyrs, 
and all the glowing devotion of the seraphs ; I would 
disclaim the whole, in point of dependence, and count 
all but dross and dung, when set in competition with 
the infinitely precious death, and infinitely merito- 
rious righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ." 

Dr. Thomas Scott, remarking on Rom. x. 4, says : 
" This ' righteousness of God is without the law,' being 
entirely independent of our personal obedience, either 
before or after justification ; it becomes ours ' by faith 
in Christ Jesus;' and in the next chapter we read of 
' righteousness imputed without works.' Is it not then 
plain that ' the righteousness of God is unto all that 
believe,' by imputation ? Thus likewise it is ' upon all 
that believe :' for they ' have put on Christ ;' God now 
looking on them, there appears nothing but Christ ; 
they are as it were covered all over with him, as a 
man with the clothes he has put on. Hence in the 
next verse it is said, they ' are all one in Christ Jesus,' 
as if there were but one person. These are the words 
in which Mr. Locke delivers his exposition of this 
text." 

The Rev. Alexander Hill says ; " Considered in 
themselves believers are guilty and deserve to suffer, 
but by means of the imputation of Christ's righteous- 
ness, they are completely acquitted from the punish- 
ment due to their sins, because it was endured for them 
by the Lord Jesus, and they acquire a right to eternal 
life, because it was purchased for them by his obe- 
dience." He also says that this is the catholic opinion. 

Dr. Chalmers says : '' I trust I shall never lose my 
hold of the fulness and peace, which lie in the doc- 



238 ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIES. 

trine of Christ's imputed righteousness." Later in 
life he says : '' my God, enable me to lay hold of 
the righteousness of Christ as my righteousness. . . . 
Never am I in a better frame than when dwelling in 
simple faith on Christ's offered righteousness, and 
making it the object of my acceptation. Lord, I 
pray for more and more of the clearness and enlarge- 
ment of this view, and grant me the Spirit of adop- 
tion.'' 

Indeed so uniform has been the love of Christians 
of all ages and nations to the doctrine of salvation by 
the imputed righteousness of Christ, that it is hardly 
less for a wonder than for a lamentation that any in 
our day should express doubts on the subject. Christ's 
righteousness meets the greatest want of an enlight- 
ened conscience. It is the strength of all holy joy on 
earth. It is the life of a believer's soul. In the last 
day the shouts of grace, grace unto it, shall be heard 
from all the redeemed as the topstone shall be laid on 
the living temple, the Church. To Christ, who has 
paid the ransom for us, God's faithfulness and justice 
bind him to give all whom in covenant he had pro- 
mised, yea, finally to give him the heathen for his in- 
heritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for a 
possession. But to sinners saved, all is grace, un- 
merited favour, because it comes to them through the 
imputed righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. And 
all this is but the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah 
(chap. xlv. 24, 25) : '' Surely shall one say, In the 
Lord have I righteousness and strength ;" and ''In 
the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and 
shall glory." Even " he that hath clean hands, and a 
pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, 



IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. 239 

nor sworn deceitfully" shall not be saved by his own 
merits, but " he shall receive the blessing from the 
Lord, and righteousness from the Gfod of Ms salva- 
tion,'" Psa. xxiv. 4, 5. Indeed the capital error of 
multitudes in every age has been that " they, being 
ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to 
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted 
themselves unto the righteousness of God.'^ Rom. x. 3. 
Here, just here myriads have lost their all. Reader, 
let it not be so with you. 

It has been already stated that some persons, who 
have objected to the phrase, imputed righteousness, 
have yet held the substance of what was taught by 
that doctrine. Owen expresses the judgment that it 
is '- impossible that any man should be justified before 
God any other way, but by the imputation of the 
righteousness of Christ," and says this was a common 
sentiment among the orthodox. Yet he as readily 
says that " they do not think or judge that all those 
are excluded from salvation, who cannot apprehend, 
or do deny the doctrine of the imputation of the right- 
eousness of Christ, as by them declared." '' To be- 
lieve the doctrine of it, or not to believe it, as thus or 
thus explained, is one thing ; and to enjoy the thing, 
or not to enjoy it, is another. I no way doubt, but 
that many men do receive more grace from God than 
they understand, or will own." " Men may be really 
saved by that grace which doctrinally they do deny ; 
and they may be justified by the imputation of that 
righteousness which in opinion they deny to be im- 
puted." Such views relieve the mind not only of un- 
charitableness, but also of anguish respecting some, 
who have difficulties on the subject. It is well knowu 



240 ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIES. 

that the venerable Dr. Dwight at one time wrote 
against the doctrine of imputation of righteousness ; 
but it is delightful to jBnd that when he had recovered 
from a long and dangerous illness, he poured out his 
thoughts before his pupils in these words : '' Those 
acts of my life concerning which I entertained the best 
hopes which I was permitted to entertain, those, 
which appeared to me the least exceptionable, were 
nothing, and less than nothing. The mercy of God as 
exercised through the all-suflScient and glorious right- 
eousness of the Redeemer, yielded me the only founda- 
tion of hope for good beyond the grave. During the 
long continuation of my disease, as I was always, ex- 
cept when in paroxysm^s of suifering, in circumstances 
entirely fitted for solemn contemplation, I had ample 
opportunity to survey this most interesting of all sub- 
jects on every side. As the result of all my investi- 
gations, let me assure you, and that from the neigh- 
bourhood of the eternal world, confidence in the 
righteousness of Christ is the only foundation furnished 
by earth, or heaven, upon which, when you are about 
to leave this world, you can safely rest the everlasting 
life of your souls. To trust upon anything else will 
be to feed upon the ivind and sup up the east wind. 
You will then be at the door of eternity ; will be has- 
tening to the presence of your Judge ; will be just 
ready to give up your account of the deeds done in the 
hody ; will be preparing to hear the final sentence of 
acquittal or condemnation ; and will stand at the gate 
of heaven or of hell. In these amazing circumstances 
you will infinitely need, let me persuade you to be- 
lieve and to feel that you will infinitely need, a firm 
foundation on which you may stand, and from which 



IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. 241 

you Will never be removed. There is no other such 
foundation but the Rock of Ages. Then you will be- 
lieve, then you will feel that there is no other." How 
precious is such truth ! There is ground of hope for a 
sinner in the righteousness of Christ. How solemn 
the testimony here borne to its vital importance ! And 
neither the wit of man, nor the wisdom of God has 
pointed out any method by which that righteousness 
may become ours '' to all the ends of a complete justi- 
fication," unless God in mercy will impute it to us. 

Such language from President Dwight reminds one 
of that of President Davies describing his thoughts 
during an illness. He says : '' In my sickness, I found 
the unspeakable importance of a Mediator, in a religion 
of sinners. ! I could have given you the word of a 
dying man for it, that Jesus, that Jesus whom you 
preach, is indeed a necessary and an all-sufficient 
Saviour. Indeed he is the only support for a depart- 
ing soul. None hut Christy none hut Christ. Had I 
as many good works as Abraham or Paul, I would not 
have dared build my hopes on such a quicksand, but 
only on this firm eternal Rock." Indeed to dying be- 
lievers Christ's righteousness is very, very precious. 
The Rev. W. H. Hewitson dying said : " The right- 
eousness of Christ is my stay. That sustained me in 
Madeira in the midst of persecution and difficulties ; it 
has sustained me through all my ministry; and it sus- 
tains me now." Indeed Christ is all and in all to his 
departing followers. It is not long since a pious na- 
tive Christian in India was asked, on her dying bed, 
w^hat was the state of her mind. She replied, " Happy, 
happy !" Then laying her hand on the Bengalee 
Bible she said, "I have Christ here ;' then pressing 
21 



242 ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIES. 

it to her heart she said, "And Christ here ;'^ then 
pointing toward heaven she added, "And Christ 
there.'' Thrice blessed soul. In whatever part of the 
universe she might be, Christ was with her. He was 
formed in her the hope of glory. " There is none like 
Jesus." 

What say you to these things ? Is Christ all your 
hope ? Are you building on this sure, this only foun- 
dation ? In coming before God dare you make men- 
tion of any but his righteousness, even of his only ? 
Let every man take heed that he be not found naked, 
or clothed in rags and shame. Hold fast the merits 
of the Redeemer and you are safe. Let them go and 
you are undone. His blood alone atones. His right- 
eousness alone justifies. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 

The Scriptures abound with assertions that our jus- 
tification is by faith. Thus Habakkuk says: "The 
just shall live by faith." Chap. ii. 4. Some would 
read the passage thus, " The just by faith shall live." 
There is no solid ground of objection to this render- 
ing, for it really asserts but the same thing now taught 
by it. We are at no loss for the sense of this passage ; 
for we have an inspired interpretation of it given by 
Paul. Indeed it seems to have been a very favourite 
text with him. He quotes it in Rom. i. 17, Gal. iii. 
11, Heb. X. 88. But we may go further back than 
the days of Habakkuk, even to the time of Abraham. 
Of him we read: "And he believed in the Lord and 
he counted it to him for righteousness." Gen. xv. 6. 
This passage is no less celebrated than that already 
quoted. It is also divinely interpreted by the inspira- 
tion of God in Rom. iv. 1 — 6, Gal. iii. 6 — 14. Upon 
the first part of Romans iv. Beza well says : " From 
this single example of Abraham, as deservedly selected 
from among all the fathers, the apostle intended to 
draw a conclusion, which would necessarily take in all 
believers. And that he might do this fairly, he inti- 
mates at the very entrance of the question, that he 
did not propose Abraham as one of the number of be- 
lievers, but as the father of the Church j that he might 

(243) 



244 THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 

properly reason from the father to his children, the 
foundation of which he lays in the thirteenth verse. 

* * In whatever way Abraham, the father of believers 
was justified, in the same must all his children (that is 
all believers) be justified ; but Abraham was not justi- 
fied, and made the father of the faithful, by any of 
his own works, either preceding or following his faith 
in Christ, as promised to him ; but merely by faith in 
Christ, or the merit of Christ by faith imputed to him 
for righteousness. Therefore all his children become 
his children and are justified, not by their works, 
either preceding or following their faith ; but by faith 
alone in the same Christ, who was at length to come ; 

* * and thus they are at present justified, and shall 
be to the end of the world." And so '' they which be 
of faith shall be blessed with faithful Abraham.'^ Gal. 
iii. 9. Indeed the Scriptures are very explicit on this 
point: ^' A man is not justified by the works of the 
law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.'' Gal. ii. 16. 
" Being justified by faith, we have peace with God 
through our Lord Jesus Christ." Kom. v. 1. ''The 
law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that 
we might be justified by faith." Gal. iii. 24. "Thou 
standest by faith." Rom. xi. 20. "God shall justify 
the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision 
through faith." Rom. iii. 80. Many other texts are 
no less clear. 

But what is the meaning of the expression "we are 
justified by faith?" How are we justified by faith? 
Why are we never said to be justified by other Chris- 
tian graces? Humility is an excellent grace, much 
commended in Scripture, and putting us where we 
ought to be, in the dust. Meekness bears with pity 



THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 245 

and forgiveness outrageous wrongs heg-ped upon us, 
and so makes us like Christ, who was brought as a 
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her 
shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Hope 
is an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, and 
being lively, animates the soul in all times of trial. 
Charity with her broad mantle covers the faults of 
others, fills the world with the fame of her deeds, and 
never faileth. Penitence sits at the feet of Jesus and 
bathes them with its tears. The fear of the Lord is 
a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death. 
Excellent as all these graces are, yet it is nowhere said 
in Scripture that a man is justified by fear, by charity, 
by penitence, by hope, by meekness, or by humility. 
But he is often said to be justified by faith. God does 
not put this honour upon faith because it is greater 
than other graces, for it is not. 1 Cor. xiii. 13. Love 
is greater. So are all graces, which shall flourish for 
ever. But the reason why faith justifies is because it 
receives Christ. In the language of the Bible, to re- 
ceive Christ is to believe on him. " To as many as 
received him to them gave he power to become the 
sons of God, even to as many as believed on his name." 
John i. 12. The hand of the beggar receives the loaf, 
which charity offers him, and so he is fed by his hand 
and not by another member of his body. To believe 
in Christ is in Scripture said to be "looking to him." 
Isa. xlv. 22, Heb. xii. 2. Now although he, who looks, 
may have all his other senses, and in other respects 
they may be of eminent use to him, yet he sees only 
with his eyes. Faith is the vision of the new-born 
soul. It looks back thousands of years. '' Through 

faith we understand that the worlds were made." Heb. 
21-^ 



246 THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 



xi. 3. It looks forward also thousands of years. 
^' Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and 
was glad." John viii. 56. And as the dying Israelite 
looked to the brazen serpent and was healed, so do 
perishing sinners look by faith to Jesus and are saved. 
They look and live. Faith is a reliance upon testi- 
mony, and saving faith has special regard to the testi- 
mony of God concerning his Son. Even to men we 
extend our belief of their word in certain circumstances. 
But '' if we receive the witness of men, the witness of 
God is greater : for this is the witness of God, which 
he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the 
Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that be- 
lieveth not God hath made him a liar, because he be- 
lieveth not the record that God gave of his Son. And 
this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal 
life ; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the 
Son hath life ; and he that hath not the Son of God 
hath not life." 1 John v. 9 — 12. So that he, who be- 
lieves he has need of a Saviour and credits this testi- 
mony of God, does rest the w^iole weight of his salva- 
tion here and not elsewhere. He takes Christ as his 
sole, suflScient Redeemer. Faith justifies us only as 
it receives Jesus Christ as '^ the Lord our Righteous- 
ness." It takes the robe he has wrought and puts it 
on, and so hides the nakedness of the soul. The 
Westminster Confession says : " Justifying faith is a 
saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner, by the 
Spirit and word of God ; whereby he, being convinced 
of his sin and misery, and of the disability of himself 
and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost 
condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the pro- 
mise of the gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon 



THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 247 

Christ and his righteousness therein held forth, for the 
pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting 
of his person righteous in the sight of God for sal- 
vation." 

Bishop Hall says : ''The spiritual hand whereby we 
receive the sweet offer of our Saviour is faith ; which 
in short is no other than an affiance in the Mediator. 
Receive peace, and be happy ; believe, and thou hast 
received." 

Usher says : " Justifying faith consists in these two 
things, in having a mind to know Christ, and a will to 
rest upon him. Whosoever sees so much excellency in 
Christ, that thereby he is drawn to embrace him as the 
only Rock of salvation, that man truly believes to jus- 
tification." 

Others very well represent the office of faith when 
they say that by means of it a union is formed be- 
tween Christ and believers. Thus Luther says : 
" Faith unites the soul with Christ as a spouse with 
her husband. Everything which Christ has, becomes 
the property of the believing soul ; everything which 
the soul has, becomes the property of Christ. Christ 
possesses all blessings and eternal life — they are 
thenceforth the property of the soul. The soul has 
all its iniquities and sins : they become thenceforward 
the property of Christ. It is then that a blessed 
change commences : Christ, who is both God and man, 
Christ who has never sinned, and whose holiness is 
perfect, Christ the Almighty, and Eternal, taking to 
himself, by his nuptial ring of faiths all the sins of the 
believer, those sins are lost and abolished in him ; for 
no sins dwell before his infinite righteousness. Thus, 
by faith, the believer's soul is delivered from sins, and 



248 THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 

clothed with the eternal righteousness of her bridegroom, 
Christ. happy union ! the rich, the noble, the holy 
Bridegroom takes in marriage his poor, guilty and de- 
spised spouse, delivers her from every evil, and enriches 
her with the most precious blessings. Christ, a King 
and a Priest, shares this honour and glory with all 
Christians. The Christian is a king, and consequently 
possesses all things ; he is a priest, and consequently 
possesses God, and it is faith, not works, which brings 
him all this honour. A Christian is free from all 
things, above all things, faith giving him richly all 
things." Should any be startled at such expressions 
as ''he possesses God,'' let them consider the import 
of these words : " Thou art my portion, Lord." Psa. 
cxix. 5T ; " God is our refuge and strength." Psa. 
xlvi. 1 ; ''I am the Lord thy God," and many such 
expressions of Scripture. On the other hand hovf 
many scores of times does God call the saints, " my peo- 
ple," "the lot of mine inheritance," "my redeemed," 
"my love," &c. "All grace flows from Christ united 
to the soul, as all life flows from the soul united to the 
body." This union between Christ and believers 
shall never be broken. It is in perpetuity as to all its 
blessed consequences. 

From all that has been said, it is very evident that 
there is no merit in our believing, though by believing 
we become interested in the merits of Christ. If faith 
itself, the act of believing, were the ground of our 
acceptance, it would certainly be works, even the work 
of faith. And as no man's faith is absolutely perfect, 
w^e should then have justification by a work full of 
imperfection. Faith is indeed the instrument, but not 
the ground j the means, but not the cause of our justi- 



THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 249 

Ccation. If faith itself were the ground of our ac- 
ceptance, it would be our saviour, and it would be 
entitled to all the glory of our salvation. And as 
faith is an act of the soul, each man would then be 
entitled to the full honour of his own salvation ; and 
instead of boasting being excluded, as Paul says (Horn, 
iii. 27,) all heaven would be filled with it, and each 
man would have a right to say that he came thither 
by his own act, merit and virtue. And where then 
would be the glory of Christ ? His reward would con- 
sist in nothing. Those, who should be saved, would 
owe him nothing. They would have saved themselves. 
To be justified by faith itself as the ground of accept- 
ance would surely be to be ^'justified by works of 
righteousness, which we had done/' and Paul says this 
is impossible. 

The faith, by which a soul is united to Christ, is 
itself the gift of God, and a gift, which never could 
have been bestowed but for the finished work of Christ. 
That it is a gift from God is declared in Matt. xvi. 16, 
17, in John i. 13, in Rom. xii. 3, in Eph. ii. 8, in Phil. 
i. 29, and in many other places. The Saviour is ex- 
pressly called "the author and finisher of our faith." 
Heb. xii. 1. Again it is expressly ascribed to God's 
Spirit : ^'The fruit of the Spirit is faith." Gal. v. 22. 
How then could itself be any just ground of acquit- 
ting the guilty, and of taking the undeserving into the 
favour of God ? Eaith makes no satisfaction for sin. 
Faith even when genuine is not in any case perfect 
and blameless. Should we have no better righteous- 
ness than this in w^hich to appear before God, his holy 
eye would behold rents in every part of it. So that 
the Scriptures ascribe even our believing to the amaz- 



250 THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 

ing kindness of God. In Acts xviii. 27, men are in so 
many words said to have "believed through grace." 

These general views of the subject are common to 
all evangelical Christians. The Augsburg Confession 
says : " Christ is given for a Mediator to us, and this 
honour is not to be transferred unto our works. When 
therefore w^e do say that ' we are justified by faith,' 
we do not mean that we are just for the worthiness of 
that virtue ; but this is our meaning : that we do ob- 
tain remission of sins and imputation of righteousness 
by mercy shown us for Christ's sake. But now this 
mercy cannot be received but by faith. * * When 
Paul saith, ' Faith is reckoned for righteousness,' he 
speaketh of a trust and confidence of mercy, promised 
for Christ's sake ; and his meaning is, that men are 
pronounced righteous, that is, reconciled, through 
mercy promised for Christ's sake, whom we must re- 
ceive by faith. Now the novelty of this figurative 
speech of Paul, ' We are justified by faith,' will not 
oflfend holy minds, if they understand that it is spoken 
properly of mercy, and that herein mercy is adorned 
with true and due praises. For what can be more ac- 
ceptable to an afilicted and fearful conscience in great 
griefs, than to hear that this is the commandment of 
God, and the voice of the Bridegroom, Christ Jesus, 
that they should undoubtedly believe, that remission 
of sins, or reconciliation, is given unto them, not for 
their own worthiness, but freely, through mercy, for 
Christ's sake, that the benefit might be certain." 

The Latter Confession of Helvetia says : " Because 
faith doth apprehend Christ our righteousness, and doth 
attribute all to the praise of God in Christ, in this 
respect justification is attributed to faith chiefly be- 
cause of Christ, whom it receiveth, and not because 



THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 251 

it IS a work of ours. For it is the gift of God. Now, 
that we do receive Christ by faith, the Lord showeth 
at large, in the sixth chapter of John, where he putteth 
eating for believing, and believing for eating. For as 
by eating we receive meat, so by believing we are made 
partakers of Christ." 

The Confession of Bohemia speaking "of true justifi- 
cation of faith" says : " This faith properly is an assent 
of a willing heart to the whole truth delivered in the 
gospel, whereby man is enlightened in his mind and 
soul, that he may rightly acknowledge and receive for 
his only Saviour, his God, and Lord Jesus Christ, and 
upon him, as on a true rock, he may build his whole 
salvation, love, follow and enjoy him, and repose all 
his hope and confidence in him." "But the lively and 
never dying spring of justification is in our Lord Jesus 
Christ alone, by those his saving works, that is, which 
give salvation." 

The Confession of Belgia says : " True faith doth 
embrace Jesus Christ, with all his merits, doth chal- 
lenge him unto itself, as proper and peculiar, and doth 
seek for nothing besides him." " He, who by faith 
possesseth Jesus Christ, hath also perfect salvation." 
" Yet to speak properly, we do not mean that faith by 
itself, or of itself, doth justify us, which is but only as 
an instrument, whereby we apprehend Christ, who is 
our righteousness. Christ therefore himself is our 
righteousness, which imputeth all his merits unto us." 
The London and Philadelphia Baptist Confessions, the 
Confessions of the Savoy, Cambridge and Boston, and 
the Confessions of Presbyterian Churches generally in 
Great Britain and America agree in saying, " Faith 
receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, 
is the alone instrument of justification; yet is not 



252 THE OFFICE OF FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION. 

alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied 
■with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith but 
worketh by love." Some of the old writers quaintly 
say, " We are justified by faith sole, but not solitary.'' 

Leighton says : " True it is, that this faith purifies 
the heart, and works holiness, and all graces flow from 
it ; but in this work of justifying the sinner, it is 
alone, and cannot admit of any mixture, as Luther's 
resemblance is, ' Faith is as the bride with Christ in 
the bed-chamber alone, but when she cometh forth, 
hath the attendance and train of her graces with 
her.' " 

The Synod of Dort says : " To as many as truly 
believe, and through the death of Christ are delivered 
and saved from sin and condemnation, this benefit 
comes from the sole grace of God, which he owes to 
no man, given them in Christ from eternity." 

The Welch Calvinistic Methodists' Confession says : 
" It would be as improper to attribute the righteous- 
ness of Christ to faith [itself], as to attribute the 
light of the sun to the medium through which it is 
transmitted to us." 

Further testimonies are needless. How clear and 
harmonious is God's way of saving sinners ! And 
how safe is it to follow him in all things ! Holiness 
no less than bliss follow^s a true faith. " Reliance is 
the essence of faith. Christ is the object, the word 
is the food, and obedience the proof; so that true 
faith is a depending upon Christ for salvation in the 
way of obedience, as he is ofi'ered in the w^ord." Well 
may all give thanks for such a gift. It is the earnest 
of salvation. 

"Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith 
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



WHY GOOD WORKS ARE NECESSARY. 

The Church of Christ has uniformly insisted upon 
good works as being pleasing and honourable to God, 
as being the evidences of faith and the fruits of love, 
and as being profitable to our neighbour. The Scrip- 
tures are as careful to insist that good works be per- 
formed, as they are to warn us against trusting in 
them for justification before God. They are often 
commanded in the plainest terms. " Depart from evil 
and do good." Psa. xxxiv. 14. ^' Trust in the Lord 
and do good." Psa. xxxvii. 8. "Let your light so 
shine before men, that they may see your good works, 
and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt. v. 
16. '' Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and 
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against 
the soul ; having j^our conversation honest among the 
gentiles : that whereas they speak against you as evil- 
doers, they may by your good works, which they shall 
behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." 1 Pet. 
ii. 11, 12. "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye 
bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples." John 
XV. 8. "Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, 
being fruitful in every good work." Tit. iii. 1. "These 
things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they who 
have believed in God, might be careful to maintain 
good works. These things are good and profitable 
22 (253) 



254 WHY GOOD WOPJvS ARE NECESSARY. 

unto men/' Tit. iii. 8. " Lot ours also learn to main- 
tain good works for necessary uses." Tit. iii. 14. 

These are but specimens of scores of texts of Scrip- 
ture, which assert the necessity of good works in all, 
who would glorify God, be useful to their generation, 
or evince a true Christian character. There is no sub- 
stitute for a life of holiness. 

Nothing is a good work unless it is something com- 
manded by God. Human inventions may please men, 
win the applause of the ignorant, and build up in us a 
vain self-confidence. But ''who hath required this at 
your hand?" is a terrible challenge from God to all 
who follow such devices. It was a great complaint of 
God against some, " this people draw near me with 
their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but 
have removed their heart far from me, and their fear 
toward me is taught by the precepts of men." Isa. 
xxix. 13. And Christ said of some ; " In vain do 
they worship me, teaching for doctrines the command- 
ments of men." Matt. xv. 9. 

The symbols of the various Churches of Christ are 
remarkably clear and harmonious on the subject of 
works. Here is the , testimony of the Confession of 
Sueveland : " We are so far from rejecting good works, 
that we do utterly deny that any man can fully be 
saved except that he be thus far brought by the Spirit 
of Christ, that he find no want at all in him, touching 
those good works whereunto God hath created him." 
A declaration this parallel to these, ''Without faith it 
is impossible to please God," and " Without holiness 
no man shall see the Lord." The Confession of Wir- 
temburg says "that good works, commanded of God, 
are necessarily to be done." The Confession of 



WHY GOOD WORKS ARE NECESSARY. 255 

Saxony says : " Obedience, and the righteousness of a 
good conscience, must be begun in this life ; and this 
obedience, although it be very far from that perfection, 
which the law requireth, is nevertheless, in the regene- 
rate, acceptable to God, for the Mediator's sake : who 
niaketh request for us, and by his merit doth cover our 
great and unspeakable miseries." The Confession of 
Scotland says, " That God hath given to man his holy 
law, in which not only are forbidden all such works as 
displease and offend his godly majesty, but also, are 
commanded all such as please him, and as he hath 
promised to reward. Exod. xx. 1 — 17. Deut. v. 1 — 21. 
And these works be of two sorts. The one are done 
to the honour of God, the other to the profit of our 
neighbours." The Confession of England says, " Though 
we say we have no shelter at all in our own works and 
deeds, but appoint all the means of our salvation to be 
in Christ alone ; yet say we not that for this cause 
men ought to live loosely and dissolutely : nor that it 
is enough for a Christian to be baptized only, and to 
believe ; as though there were nothing else required at 
his hand. For true faith is lively, and can in no Avise 
be idle. Thus therefore teach we the people : that 
God hath called us, not to follow riot and wantonness, 
but as St. Paul saith, ' unto good works, to walk in 
them f Ephes. ii. 10 ; that we are delivered from the 
power of darkness, (Col. i. 13); to the end that we 
should serve the living God, (Heb. ix. 14); to cut 
away all the remnants of sin, and to work out our sal- 
vation with fear and trembling, (Phil. ii. 12) ; that it 
may appear that the Spirit of sanctification is in our 
bodies, and that Christ himself dwelleth in our bodies." 
The Confession of France says : "So far is faith from 



256 WHY GOOD WORKS ARE NECESSARY. 

extinguisliing the desire to live well and holily, that it 
doth rather increase and kindle it in us : whereupon 
good works do necessarily follow." The Confession 
of Bohemia having quoted at length 2 Pet. i. 5 — 8, 
2 Cor. iii. 10, 2 Pet. i. 11, 12, Luke vi. 86, 38, and 
xii. 33, and xiv. 13, 14, says, "By these it is plain and 
manifest that those works which proceed of faith, do 
please God, and are rewarded with abundant grace : 
to wit, with the recompense of all kind of good things 
and blessings, both in this life and in the life to come.'' 
The Heidelberg Catechism under the head of Thank- 
fulness thus speaks : 

" 86. Since then we are delivered from our misery, 
merely of grace through Christ, without any merit of 
ours, why must we still do good works ? 

'^ Because that Christ, having redeemed us and de- 
livered us by his blood, also renews us by his Holy 
Spirit, after his own image ; so that we may testify, 
by the whole of our conduct our gratitude to God for 
his blessings, and that he may be praised by us ; also, 
that every one may be assured in himself of his faith, 
by the fruits thereof; and that by our godly conver- 
sation others may be gained to Christ. 

" 87. Cannot they then be saved, who, continuing in 
their wicked and ungrateful lives, are not converted to 
God? 

" By no means ; for the holy Scripture declares that 
no unchaste person, idolater, adulterer, thief, covetous 
man, drunkard, slanderer, robber, or any such like, 
shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

" 88. In how many parts doth the true conversion 
of man consist ? 

" In two parts ; in the mortification of the old, and 
in the quickening of the new man. 



WHY GOOD WORKS ARE NECESSARY. 257 

" 89. What is the mortification of the old man ? 

" It is a sincere sorrow of heart, that we have pro- 
voked God by our sins ; and more and more to hate 
and flee from them. 

'' 90. What is the quickening of the new man ? 

" It is a sincere joy of heart in God, through Christ, 
and with love and delight to live according to the will 
of God in all good works. 

'' 91. But what are good w^orks ? 

" Only those which proceed from a true faith, are 
performed according to the law of God, and to his 
glory, and not such as are founded on our imagination 
or the institutions of men." 

The Confession of Basle says : " The faithful do 
work, not to satisfy for their sins, but only that they 
may in some sort show themselves thankful unto God 
our Lord for the great benefits bestowed upon us in 
Christ." The former Confession of Helvetia says, 
" This is indeed the only true worship of God : to wit, 
a faith most fruitful of good works, and yet not put- 
ting any confidence in works." The latter Confession 
of Helvetia says, " We condemn all those, who do con- 
temn good works, and do babble that they are need- 
less, and not to be regarded." Again, '' Works do ne- 
cessarily proceed from faith." The Church of Eng- 
land says that " good works are the fruits of faith and 
follow after justification," and that "they are pleasing 
and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out ne- 
cessarily of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by 
them a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a 
tree is discerned by the fruit." The Church of Ire- 
land uses almost the very same words and in the same 
connection. The Westminster Confession says, " The 
22^ 



258 WHY GOOD works are necessary. 

persons of believers being accepted through Christ, 
their good works also are accepted in him; not as 
though they were in this life wholly unblamable and 
unreprovable in God's sight, but that he, looking upon 
them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that 
which is sincere, although accompanied with many 
weaknesses and imperfections/' So that unless men 
intend to abandon themselves to wickedness, despise 
God's authority, and fly in the face of the testimony 
of all true Christians, they must lead lives of holiness 
and obedience. Indeed the uniform teaching of Scrip- 
ture is that while no man shall be saved for the merit 
of his works, yet men shall be judged and treated ac- 
cording to their works. The wicked deserve all that 
shall come upon them by want of good works and their 
performance of evil works. The righteous do not 
indeed deserve any good thing, yet of his mercy and 
grace God will at last reward them, as though they 
deserved much. Thus we read : " The work of a man 
will God render unto him, and cause every man to find 
according to his Avays." Job xxxiv. 11. "Thou ren- 
derest to every man according to his work." Psa. Ixii. 
12. ^' Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well 
with him : for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 
Woe unto the wicked ! it shall be ill with him ; for the 
reward of his hands shall be given him." Isa. iii. 10, 
11. " I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, 
even to give every man according to his ways, and ac- 
cording to the fruit of his doings." Jer. xvii. 10. 
" The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Fa- 
ther, with his angels ; and then he shall reward every 
man according to his works." Matt. xvi. 27. God 
^'will render to every man according to his deeds.'^, 



WHY GOOD WORKS ARE NECESSARY. 259 



I 



Eom. ii. 6. See also 2 Cor. v. 10 ; Col. vi. 7 ; Eph. 
vi. 8 ; 1 Pet. i. 17 ; Kev. ii. 23, and xx. 12, and xxii. 
12. So that the doctrine is clear. He that sowcth 
sparingly shall reap also sparingly, while he that sows 
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. He, who cared 
comparatively little for the cause of Christ, and did 
but little for it, shall have a comparatively small re- 
ward, while he who gave up all and lived and died for 
Christ shall be very glorious. " One star diifereth 
from another star in glory. So also is the resurrec- 
tion from the dead." To render mistake on this doc- 
trine impossible let it never be forgotten that the 
works of believers will not be the cause but only the 
occasion of their many rich blessings ; the measure but 
not the merit of their reward. 

Nor is there anything in this contrary to the doc- 
trine of gratuitous salvation ; for these very works 
themselves are the fruit of Grod's mercy and love. He 
works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure, 
and then kindly takes occasion from our obedience to 
measure out to us, of his own love and bounty, richer 
and vaster blessings still. That our works themselves 
are from God the Bible everywhere teaches. " From 
me is thy fruit found." Hos. xiv. 8. ^'Lord, thou 
wilt ordain peace for us : for thou also hast wrought 
all our works in us." Isa. xxvi. 12. " God is able to 
make all grace abound toward you ; that ye, always 
having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every 
good work." 2 Cor. ix. 8. In fact Jesus Christ "gave 
himself for us that he might redeem us from all ini- 
quity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zeal- 
ous of good works." Titus ii. 14. "Faith if it hath 
not works is dead, being alone." James ii. 17. And 



260 WHY GOOD WORKS ARE NECESSARY. 

here precisely is what the apostle James meant when 
he said we are justified by works. His meaning is 
that we are justified in making our profession of faith, 
we establish our sincerity and consistency, we prove to 
all the world and to God himself that we are what we 
profess to be and ought to be, when our lives show forth 
the glory of God. Christian brethren, let us not be 
weary in well-doing, for in due time we shall reap if 
we faint not. Let us abound unto every good word 
and work. How dishonourable to religion it would be, 
if it were otherwise. Is not all religion an entire fail- 
ure, if it does not bring us into conformity to God ? 
'^ Grace is an immortal seed, cast into an immortal 
soil, that brings forth immortal fruit. '^ 



CHAPTER XXX. 



REGENERATION. 



From first to last salvation is all of grace. Paul 
says: ^'We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobe- 
dient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, liv- 
ing in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one an- 
other. But after that the kindness and love of God 
our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of 
righteousness, which we have done, but according to 
his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, 
and renewing of the Holy Grhost, which he shed on us 
abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Tit. 
iii. 3 — 6. So that it is clearly by the grace and me- 
diation of our Lord Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit 
is sent down to renew our natures, and to accomplish 
in us the new birth. Pardon saves a sinner from the 
curse of the law and the lake of fire ; acceptance 
through Christ gives him a title to heaven ; but in 
regeneration the dominion of sin begins to be destroyed, 
and the soul begins to be fitted for the Master's use. 
The new birth is a great mystery, yet it is much in- 
sisted on in Scripture. '' The washing of regenera- 
tion'' is as necessary as washing in the blood of Christ. 
'' The renewing of the Holy Ghost" is as essential as 
the "justification of life." Within the space of four 
verses our Lord thrice declares how necessary it is to 
salvation. Hear him : '' Verily, verily, I say unto 

(261) 



262 REGENERATION. 

thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God ;" "Except a man be born of water, 
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
God;" "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must 
be born again." John iii. 3, 5, 7. The fallow ground 
must be broken up or the good seed will not take root 
in our hearts. The wild olive must undergo the ope- 
ration of engrafting Avith the good olive, or it will 
remain worthless. All the Scriptures teach as much. 
Christ regarded it as by no means marvellous that a 
vile sinner must undergo a great spiritual change, be- 
fore he could be fit for the service of God. 

Perhaps there is not a more driveling error than 
that which teaches that baptism with water is the re- 
generation, which Jesus Christ and his apostles insist 
upon. When men can confound the " washing of re- 
generation" with the washing with water, they are 
fully prepared to follow, in fact they are already fol- 
lowing, in the footsteps of those, who confounded "that 
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh," with that 
circumcision, which is " of the heart, in the spirit, and 
not in the letter ; whose praise is not of men, but of 
God." Perhaps, too, no error is more mischievous 
than this. It is monstrous that such error and folly 
should be taught in lands where God's word is in ge- 
neral use. 

To baptism some add an outward reformation and 
insist that this should be admitted as sufficient. Sup- 
posing this to be the meaning of Christ and his apos- 
tles, it is impossible to defend them from the charge 
of using very mysterious language to convey so simple 
an idea. But such a belief is never entertained by 
those, who have a becoming respect for God's word. 



REGENERATION. 263 

It will therefore claim no more attention at this 
time. 

Sound divines have very remarkably agreed in tell- 
ing us what regeneration is. Dr. Witherspoon says : 
'' A new birth implies an universal change. It must 
be of the whole man, not in some particular, but in all 
without exception." And he shows at length that it 

is not PxlRTIAL, EXTERNAL, IMPERFECT, but that it is 
UNIVERSAL, INWARD, ESSENTIAL, COMPLETE, and SU- 
PERNATURAL. 

Charnock says: " Kegeneration is A mighty and 

POW^ERFUL CHANGE, WROUGHT IN THE SOUL BY THE EF- 
FICACIOUS WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHEREIN A 
VITAL PRINCIPLE, A NEW HABIT, THE LAW OF GOD, AND 
A DIVINE NATURE ARE PUT INTO AND FRAMED IN THE 
HEART, ENABLING IT TO ACT HOLILY AND PLEASINGLY 

TO God, and to grow up therein to eternal glory." 
Dr. Thomas Scott quotes with approbation another 
definition, but does not give his author. He says : 
''Regeneration may be defined — 'A change wrought 
by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the understanding, 
will and affections of a sinner, which is the commence- 
ment of a new kind of life, and which gives another 
direction to his judgment, desires, pursuits, and con- 
duct." 

Although this change is called by various names, 
yet the doctrine of Scripture respecting it is uniform. 
Sometimes it is called a holy calling, a creation, a new 
creation, a translation, a circumcision of the heart, a 
resurrection ; but whatever be the name, the thing sig- 
nified is everywhere spoken of in very solemn terms 
aad as a rich fruit of God's grace. Thus says Paul, 
'' It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's 



264 REGENERATION. 

"womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son 
in me.'' Gal. i. 15, 16. Again: God ''hath saved us 
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our 
works but according to his own purpose and grace, 
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world 
began.'^ 2 Tim. i. 9. Again Peter says that "the 
God of all grace hath called us unto his eternal glory 
by Christ Jesus." 1 Pet. v. 10. 

Nor have the purest churches ever doubted the ne- 
cessity of this change. They also remarkably agree 
concerning its nature. The Westminster Assembly 
teaches that " God is pleased in his appointed and ac- 
cepted time, eflfectually to call his people by his word 
and Spirit out of that state of sin and death, in which 
they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus 
Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and sa- 
vingly to understand the things of God ; taking away 
their heart of stone, and giving them a heart of flesh ; 
renewing their wills, and, by his almighty power, de- 
termining them to that, which is good, and effectually 
drawing them to Jesus Christ ; yet so as they come 
most freely, being made willing by his grace." The 
Latter Confession of Helvetia says, "In regeneration 
the understanding is illuminated by the Holy Ghost, 
that it may understand both the mysteries and will of 
God. And the will itself is not only changed by the 
Spirit, but is also endued with faculties, that, of its 
own accord, it may will and do good," and quotes in 
proof, Rom. viii. 4 ; Jer. xxxi. 33 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 27 ; 
John viii. 36 ; Phil. i. 6, 29 ; and ii. 13. The Synod 
of Dort says, " This regenerating grace of God work- 
eth not upon men as if they were stocks and stones, 
nor doth it abolish the will and properties of their will, 



REGENEBATION. 205 

or violently constrain it, but doth spiritually revive it, 
heal it, rectify it, and powerfully yet gently bend it : 
BO that where formerly the rebellion of the flesh, and 
stubbornness did domineer without control, now a will- 
ing and sincere obedience to the Spirit begins to reign; 
in which change the true and spiritual rescue and free- 
dom of our will doth consist. And surely, unless the 
wonderful Worker of all goodness should deal with us 
in this sort, there were no hope left for man to arise 
from his lapse by his free-will, through which, when 
standing, he threw himself headlong into destruction." 
The truth is that if we give up regeneration, the last 
hope that a sinner may ever again be either holy or 
happy is gone for ever. The Church of Ireland holds 
that "All God's elect are in their time inseparably 
united unto Christ, by the effectual and vital influence 
of the Holy Ghost, derived from him, as from the head, 
unto every true member of his mystical body. And 
being thus made one with Christ they are truly regene- 
rated, and made partakers of him and all his benefits." 
Indeed nothing could more distress one, who rightly 
considered his lost estate, than to have the hope, 
which springs from the doctrine of regeneration, de- 
stroyed or seriously shaken. In other words God does 
in regeneration but graciously respond to an urgent 
demand of every enlightened conscience. Every man, 
who has ever had his eyes opened to see his own 
wretchedness and vileness, will agree to the saying of 
Usher : " It is not a little reforming will save the man, 
no, nor all the morality of the world, nor all the com- 
mon graces of God's Spirit, nor the outward change 
of the life : they will not do, unless we are quickened 
and have a new life wrought in us." 
23 



266 REGENERATION. 

In his old age, when he could no longer see to read, 
John Newton heard some one repeat this text, "By 
the grace of God I am what I am." He remained 
silent a short time and then, as if speaking to himself, 
he said: "I am not what I ouglit iohQ. Ah! how 
imperfect and deficient ! I am not what I wish to be. 
I abhor that which is evil, and I would cleave to that 
which is good. I am not what I hope to be. Soon, 
soon I shall put off mortality, and with mortality all 
sin and imperfection. Though I am not what I ought 
to be, what I wish to be, and what I hope to be, yet I 
can truly say, I am not what I once was, a slave to 
sin and Satan ; I can heartily join with the apostle 
and acknowledge, ' By the grace of Grod I am what I 
am: " 

God's people are born three times, once into this 
world, once into a state of grace, and once into glory. 
They and the finally impenitent have the first and 
none but the first birth in common. It brings the 
same to all. " That which is born of the flesh is flesh." 
This natural birth is a great wonder. Devout men 
have always so regarded it. David says, " Thou art 
he that took me out of my mother's bowels ; my praise 
shall be continually of thee." Warm should be the 
heart and thankful should be the song of her, who is 
made the joyful mother of a living healthy child. To 
how many is the womb the grave. The wonder is that 
it is not so to more. Every good man is ready to say, 
" I bless God that ever I was born." 

'' Those born once only, die twice. They die a tem- 
poral, and they die an eternal death. But those who 
are born twice, die only once ; for over them the se- 
cond death has no power." 



REGENERATION. 267 

Our second birth brings us into a state of grace. It 
is one of the richest of God's covenanted mercies. 
When one is born anew, a fatal blow is given to Sa- 
tan's kingdom in the heart ; for " that which is born 
of the Spirit is spirit." This is a work of amazing 
energy. It was for good cause that the Synod of Dort 
taught " that God, in regenerating a man, doth em- 
ploy that omnipotent strength, whereby he may pow- 
erfully and infallibly bow and bend his will unto faith 
and conversion." Paul uses all the strong words he is 
master of to teach us that we are renewed by power^ 
by amazing enei^gy. He prayed that his Ephesians 
might know " what is the exceeding greatness of his 
power to US-ward who believe, according to the work- 
ing of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ 
when he raised him from the dead." Eph, i. 18, 19. 
We know of no greater power than that which accom- 
plished the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Yet the same power converts the soul. Augustine 
says : "To justify a sinner, to new create him from a 
wicked person to a righteous man, is a greater act, 
than to make such a new heaven and earth as is al- 
ready made." Dr. Nevins says, " Some think it easy 
to save a soul, to bend a will, to change a heart. But 
it is God's greatest work. Creation is not so hard. 
It is the most wonderful species of resurrection. With 
men it is impossible, with God it is possible. In saving 
a soul he puts forth a mightier energy than in making 
many worlds." In his Views in Theology Dr. Beecher 
admits that " the power of God in regeneration is 
represented as among the greatest displays of his om- 
nipotence ever made, or to be made in the history of 
the universe. When the fair creation rose fresh in 



268 REGENERATION. 

beauty from the hand of God, the morning stars sang 
together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy ; but 
sweeter songs will celebrate and louder shouts will 
attend the consummation of redemption by the power 
of God's Spirit ; and such brighter glories of God, and 
illustrations of his power will be manifested to princi- 
palities and powers by the Church, as will cause the 
light of his glory in physical creation to go out and be 
forgotten, as the stars fade and are lost amid the splen- 
dours of the sun." Mr. Hervey says, "Without the 
powerful agency of the blessed Spirit to enlighten our 
understandings, and to apply the doctrine of the Bible 
to our hearts, we shall be, even with the word of light 
and life in our hands, somewhat like blind Bartimeus, 
sitting amidst the heat of day ; or like the withered 
arm, with invaluable treasure before it." Upheld in 
being by God's power and left to the freedom of his 
own will, man easily destroyed himself; but omnipo- 
tence alone can save him. In physical, as in spiritual 
things, destruction is easy, and restoration difficult. 
A child may in an hour burn down an edifice, which it 
took a hundred men a year to erect. One stroke of 
the sword may sunder from the body a limb, which all 
the surgeons on earth cannot restore to its position 
and its functions. A man may easily take his own 
life, but no finite power can restore it. The first 
Adam though earthy could ruin all whom he repre- 
sented. But the second Adam must needs be the 
Lord from heaven, as his work was to save the lost. 

Thus the Church of God has always held. The Sa- 
voy Confession well says, "Although the Gospel be 
the only outward means of revealing Christ and of 
saving grace, and is, as such, abundantly sufficient 



REGENERATION. 269 

thereunto ; yet that men, who are dead in trespasses, 
may be born again, quickened, or regenerated, there is 
moreover necessary an effectual, irresistible work of 
the Holy Spirit upon the w^hole soul, for producing in 
them a new spiritual life, without which no other means 
are sufficient for their conversion unto God." Our 
second birth is the result of the almighty energy of 
God's Holy Spirit. 

Regeneration is no less the fruit of matchless kind- 
ness. So teach the Scriptures. '' God, who is rich in 
mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even 
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together 
with Christ." This is the w^ay the Bible everywhere 
speaks. It holds no other language. Gurnall well 
observes that, " It is a greater act of grace, for God 
to work conversion in a sinner, than to crown that con- 
version with glory. It is more gracious and conde- 
scending in a prince to marry a poor damsel, than 
having married her to clothe her like a princess. He 
was free to do the first, or not ; but the relation to 
her pleads strongly for the other. God might have 
chosen whether he would have given thee grace, or no : 
but, having done this, thy relation to him, and his 
covenant with thee in his Son, do oblige him to add 
more and more, until he hath fitted thee as a bride for 
himself in glory." 

This love of Christ shown in regeneration is exer- 
cised in a sovereign way. '' Of his own will begat he 
us." They who receive Christ Jesus are "born, not 
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of 
man^ but of God." The vessels to honour and those 
to dishonour are made "of the same lump." By na- 
ture there is no difference between the elect and the 
23* 



270 REGENERATION. 

non-elect. Paul was as bloody a persecutor as Doml- 
tian ; Zaccheus as unconscionable and greedy a world- 
ling, as the rich man, who lifted up his eyes in hell ; 
and the thief, who cried, Lord, remember me, as guilty 
and felonious as he, who perished, reviling the dying 
Saviour. Manasseh was for half a century wholly 
corrupt and hardened, covered with sins and crimes, 
yet he was saved ; while the young ruler, who was so 
amiable as to draw forth the natural affections of 
Christ, persisted in his covetousness, and rejected 
Christ. 

This new birth is sometimes called a "translation." 
As Enoch and Elijah were taken out of this world and 
borne to heaven, so in its renewal, the soul is " trans- 
lated out of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear 
Son." " Outer darkness" excepted, there is none 
worse than that, out of which the soul is brought in 
the day of its turning unto God. The kingdom, into 
which it is translated, is righteousness, peace and joy 
in the Holy Ghost. Sinful nature is thus slain, while 
grace is enthroned and sways her peaceful sceptre over 
the will and affections. This new birth we must all 
undergo or be for ever undone. "All hangs upon this 
hinge. If this be not done, ye are undone — undone 
eternally. All your profession, civility, privileges, 
gifts, duties are cyphers, and signify nothing, unless 
regeneration be the figure put before them." This 
great change is a passing from death unto life. Nor 
can that transition ever be made in any other way. 
Better to have been born a heathen, a beast or a mon- 
ster, yea, better never to have been born at all, than 
not to be born again. I have known many to celebrate 
every year the day of their birth ; but the day of one's 



KEGENERATION. 271 

second birth is far more worthy of annual celebration. 
Flavel says : " What a distinguishing and seasonable 
mercy was ushered in by providence in the day of 
your conversion ! It brought you to the means of sal- 
vation in a good hour. At that very point of time 
when the angel troubled the waters you were brought 
to the pool. John v. 4. Now the accepted day was 
come, the Spirit was in the ordinance or providence 
that converted you, and you were set in the way of it. 
It may be you had heard many hundred sermons be- 
fore, but nothing would strike till now, because the 
hour was not come. * * There were many others un- 
der that sermon, that received no such mercy. * * As 
' there were many lepers in Israel in the days of Eli- 
seus ; but to none of them was the prophet sent, save 
unto Naaman the Syrian,' (Luke iv. 2T,) so there 
were many poor unconverted souls besides you under 
the word that day, and it may be that unto none of 
them was salvation sent that day but to you. 
blessed providence, that set you in the way of mercy 
at that time ! * * * For consider, 

'' 1. Of all mercies, this come$ through most and 
greatest diiSSculties. Eph. i. 19, 20. 

"2. This is a spiritual mercy, excelling in dignity of 
nature all others more than gold excels the dirt under 
your feet. Rev. iii. 18. One such gift is worth thou- 
sands of other mercies. 

'' 3. This is a mercy immediately flowing out of the 
fountain of God's electing love, a mercy never dropt 
into any but an elect vessel. 1 Thess. i. 4, 5. 

"4:. This is a mercy that infallibly secures salvation ; 
for as we may argue from conversion to election, look- 
ing back ; so from conversion to salvation looking for- 
ward. Heb. vi. 9. ^ 



272 REGENERATION. 

" 5. Lastly. This is an eternal mercy, that which will 
stick by you when father, mother, wife, children, estate, 
honour, health, and life shall fail thee. John iv. 14." 

In due time the regenerate experience their third 
birth, which is into glory, but of this more hereafter. 
The first of these births is natural, the second and third 
are supernatural ; the first is carnal, the others are 
spiritual ; the first inclines to sin (" they go astray 
so soon as they are born"); the second inclines 
to holiness (''he that is born of God sinneth not"); 
the third for ever perfects both holiness and happiness ; 
C' we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is''). 
Each of these births proves that God is almighty, wise 
and good. Yet the manner of their occurrence is not 
very clear to us. The transition from nothing to some- 
thing, from death to life, from earth to heaven w^ill 
perhaps ever be somewhat obscure. " Thou knowest 
not the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow 
in the womb of her that is with child." '' The wind 
bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound 
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor 
whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born of the 
Spirit." Each of these births has its sorrows. We 
come into the world with a cry. We forsake sin and 
turn to God, mourning as for a first-born son, or as the 
people wept at Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megid- 
don, when their good king, Josiah, was slain. We 
leave this world with a groan. Yet of the righteous 
it is always true that " the day of one's death is better 
than the day of one's birth." We cannot be too 
grateful for either of these births ; but the pious heart 
loves to dwell on the first as the beginning of natural 
life, on the second as the beginning of spiritual life, 



REGENERATION. 273 

and on the third as the beginning of everlasting life. 
Neither of these births is the cause of the other, but 
God is the author of them all. To him belongs all 
the glory of our being, of our well-being, of our un- 
fading bliss. In our spiritual regeneration the grace 
of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is very 
illustrious. Redemption devised by God, and pur- 
chased by Christ, is in the new birth applied by the 
Spirit. 

One of the most admirable effects of divine grace 
in regeneration is the victory gained over the strongest 
evil inclinations. Many a time the bitterest foes have 
by the power of the new birth become the warmest 
friends of truth and righteousness. As David dis- 
played his prowess by slaying Goliath, so the grace of 
God gains the victory over champion sins. The jailor 
at Philippi practised gratuitous cruelty towards his 
prisoners, but as soon as his heart was changed, 
he washed their stripes. In particular does the new 
birth bring a sinner out of himself, and lead him to 
exalt the Saviour, and glorify God with all his powers. 
So that the soul rests in God, is satisfied with him 
as its chief good, and glories even in shame and re- 
proach for the advancement of his cause. 

*' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath 
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrec- 
tion of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance 
incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, 
reserved in heaven for you." 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



SANCTIFICATION. 

It is by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that the 
work of purifying our natures is carried on to comple- 
tion. '' Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.'* 
Only '' the pure in heart shall see God." Holiness in 
man is conformity to God. The beginning of it is in 
regeneration. The measure of it is the law of God. 
The author of it is the Spirit of God. The source of 
it is the mediation of Christ. The necessity of it is 
laid in God's spotless holiness and in man's wicked 
enmity and utter helplessness. The end of it is eter- 
nal life. 

'' Be ye holy, for I am holy" never proceeded from 
a false God. Indeed the heathen never used a word, 
which to their minds signiiBed what we mean by sane- 
tification. Their holiness was outward, official, ceremo- 
nial. Gospel holiness is inward, personal, spiritual — 
of the heart. It is true of all men that " out of the 
heart are the issues of life." As is the heart so is the 
word, or the deed. As is the motive so is the man. 
Men cannot bring themselves to be thankful for an act, 
however advantageous to them, if they know it was not 
so designed. But they often feel grateful for kind in- 
tentions, which resulted in no good to them. God and 
good men often take the will for the deed ; but God 
never takes the deed for the will, and man never does 
it but through ignorance. Jehovah makes one demand 
(274) 



SANCTIFICATION. 275 

on old and young, prince and peasant, saint and sinner, 
and that is for holiness of heart. Nor will he relax 
this demand to save a soul from hell. To abate au^-ht 
of his requirements would be to deny himself. He 
always has said and ever must say, "My son, give 
me thy heart." So reasonable a command ought 
promptly to be obeyed. 

The Westminster Assembly give this definition : 
" Sanctification is a work of God's grace, whereby 
they, whom God hath, before the foundation of the 
world, chosen to be holy, are, in time, through the 
powerful operation of his Spirit, applying the death 
and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in the 
whole man after the image of God; having the seeds 
of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, 
put into their hearts, and those graces so stirred up, 
increased and strengthened, as that they more and 
more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life." 
The great difference between the tw^o houses which 
Solomon built was, that he himself dwelt in one, and 
God in the other. The great difference between a 
saint and a sinner is, that God inhabits the former, and 
Satan the latter. To Christians Paul says: "Ye are 
the temple of the living God ; as God hath said, I will 
dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their 
God, and they shall be my people." Again, "His 
Spirit dwelleth in you." It is indeed wonderful that 
the tabernacle of God should be "with men," but it 
is still more marvellous that it should be in men. 
the condescending greatness of Jehovah ! The Holy 
Ghost is greatly honoured in all the Scriptures. There 
he is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jehovah, 
the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of adoption, the Spiiit 



27G SANCTIFICATION. 

of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of 
counsel, the Spirit of might, the Spirit of knowledge, 
the Spirit of the fear of the Lord, the Spirit of grace, 
the Spirit of supplication, the Spirit of glory, the Spirit 
of judgment, the Spirit of promise, the Spirit of pro- 
phecy, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of holiness, the 
Holy Spirit, the Comforter. He purifies the heart. 
He stirs us up to fervent prayer. He makes us to 
hunger and thirst after the knowledge and image of 
God. He abides with the Church for ever. He, 
whose heart is thus inhabited, shall indeed be prepared 
^^unto glory." The influence of the Holy Spirit is 
necessary to help us on continually. An occasional 
impulse is not enough. " The ship in full sail keeps 
on her way for a short distance after her canvass is 
taken in ; but if the propelling power is not renewed, 
she moves slowly, then stops, and then is drifted back- 
ward by the tide.'' The soul needs help from above 
all the day long. And how delightful it is to find in- 
spired men teaching this doctrine, not in a cold logic, 
nor in angry disputations, but with raptures of delight. 
Hear Paul ; '^ We are bound to give thanks always to 
God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because 
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, 
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the 
truth." And Peter addresses the people of God as 
^^ elect according to the foreknowledge of God the 
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obe- 
dience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus." So that 
our fellowship is with the Father and the Son by the 
Spirit. " It is not the sages, but the saints that are 
the excellent of the earth." They are "called with a 
holy calling." The Holy Ghost thoroughly cleanses 



SANCTIFICATION. 277 

their natures. The Confession of Scotland thus sums 
up the leading truths respecting the Spirit of God : 
*' Faith, and the assurance of the same, proceed not 
from flesh and blood ; that is to say, from no natural 
powers within us ; but is the inspiration of the Holy 
Ghost ; Matt. xvi. 17 ; John xiv. 26 ; xv. 26 ; and xvi. 
13 ; whom we confess, equal with the Father and with 
the Son ; Acts v. 3, 4, who sanctifieth us, and bringeth 
us into all verity by his own operation ; without whom 
we should remain for ever enemies to God, and igno- 
rant of his Son Christ Jesus. For of nature we are 
so dead, so blind, and so perverse, that neither can we 
feel when we are pricked, see the light when it shineth, 
nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed, un- 
less the Spirit of the Lord quicken that which is dead, 
remove the darkness from our minds, and bow our stub- 
born hearts to the obedience of his blessed will. And 
so, as we confess that God the Father created us, when 
we were not, Psa. c. 3 ; as his Son our Lord Jesus re- 
deemed us, when we were enemies to him, Rom. v. 10 ; 
so also do we confess, that the Holy Ghost doth sanc- 
tify and regenerate us, without all respect of any 
merit, proceeding from us, be it before, or be it after 
our regeneration. Rom. v. 8. To speak this one thing 
yet in more plain words : as we willingly spoil 
[strip] ourselves of all honour and glory of our own 
creation and redemption, so do we also of our regene- 
ration and sanctification ; for of ourselves we are not 
sufficient to think one good thought ; 2 Cor. iii. 5 ; but 
he, who hath begun the work in us, is only he that 
continueth in us the same, (Phil. i. 6,) to the praise and 
glory of his undeserved grace." Eph. i. 6. 

The question is sometimes asked, What is the diiflfer- 
24 



278 SANCTIFICATION. 

ence between regeneration and sanctlfication ? The 
answer is that they are not different in their author, 
who is the Holy Spirit ; nor in the means used, which 
is God's truth ; nor in the fruit produced, which is 
conformity to God. They differ only as the comple- 
tion of a work differs from its commencement. Re- 
generation is the beginning of sanctification. Sanctl- 
fication is the carrying out of regeneration to its end. 
Regeneration is an act of God's Spirit. Sanctification 
is a work of God's Spirit, consequent upon that act. 
Regeneration is the tender blade. Sanctification is its 
growth until it is the full-ripe corn. In regeneration 
we become "new-born babes;" in sanctification we at- 
tain the stature of full-grown men in Christ Jesus. 
Although sanctification is not perfected in this life, 
yet it is finished at the death of all the saints. 

Another question of great importance is, What is 
the difference between justification and sanctification ? 
The answer is that they do not differ in their import- 
ance. Both are essential to salvation. Without either 
we must perish. Indeed God has inseparably joined 
them together. Christ Jesus is always made sanctifi- 
cation to those, to whom he is made righteousness. 
Nor do they differ in their source, which is the free 
grace and infinite love of God. Nor do they difier 
because one of them is accomplished by faith and the 
other without it. For it is often said that we are justified 
by faith, and it is as distinctly said that our hearts are 
purified by faith. Faith is the instrument of justifica- 
tion. It is the root of sanctification. In justification 
sin is pardoned, in sanctification it is slain. In the 
former we obtain forgiveness and acceptance ; in the 
latter we attain the victory over corruption^ and obtain 



SANCTIFICATION. 279 

rectitude of nature. Justification is an act of God 
complete at once and for ever. Sanctification is a 
work of God begun in regeneration, conducted through 
life and completed at death. The former is equal and 
perfect in all ; the latter is not equal in all, nor per- 
fect in any till they lay aside the flesh. In justification 
God imputes to us the righteousness of Christ ; in 
sanctification he infuses grace, and enables us to exer- 
cise it. Justification always precedes sanctification. 
Sanctification always comes after justification. A late 
writer says, ''Justification and sanctification differ, 1st. 
in their causes. Justification comes by the righteous- 
ness of Christ; sanctification by the agency of the IIoIt/ 
Ghost. 2d. In their effects. The effect of justifica- 
tion consists in our external restoration to the favour 
of God, and the bestowment on us of a covenant title 
to eternal life ; that of sanctification, in the removal 
of our inbred corruption, and the renewal of the 
divine image in the soul. 8d. In their locality. Jus- 
tification is an act of God, done amid the solemnities 
of his court in Heaven ; sanctification is a work of the 
Holy Spirit, wrought on the dispositions of our inner 
man on earth. 4th. In time and degree. Justification 
lies at the heginning of the Cliristian life, and, except 
in its consequences, does not extend beyond it, but is 
instantaneous and complete upon our first exercise of 
cordial faith. Sanctification begins where justification 
ends, runs throughout the Christian life, and is partial 
and progressive, from measure to measure, until it 
reaches its perfection in glory. In shorty justification 
is God's act for us, through the righteousness of his 
Son ; sanctification is his work in us, by the power 
of his Spirit. The former is our title to Heaven ; the 



280 SANCTIFICATION. 

latter is our education for Heaven. In the one God 
acts alone; in the other he brings us to co-operate 
with him. To thrust ourselves into the former would 
rob God of his glory ; to keep ourselves out of the 
latter would perpetuate our incapacity for bliss/' So 
long as churches preserve this distinction clear and en- 
tire, its influence for good will be manifest. In some 
respects men may widely differ on doctrinal points, but 
if right here, you will find them rallying around the 
vital truths of Christianity in a manner very pleasing. 
Mr. Wesley says that sanctification '4s, indeed, the 
immediate fruit of justification ; but, nevertheless, is a 
distinct gift of GoD, and of a totally different nature. 
The one implies what God does for us through his 
Son; the other, what God works in us by his Spirit. 
So that, although some rare instances may be found, 
wherein the terms justified and justification are used 
in so wide a sense as to include sanctification also, yet 
in general use they are sufficiently distinguished from 
each other, both by Paul and the other inspired 
writers." Other writers have also supposed that jus- 
tification is sometimes used in Scripture to include 
sanctification. If so it is only by synecdoche. Nor is 
justification ever specially referred to the Holy Spirit 
as its author, but sanctification of the soul is often said 
to be through the Spirit. Nor does that saying of 
Paul (1 Cor. vi. 11) when rightly interpreted contra- 
vene this statement. His words are: ''And such 
were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are 
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord 
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.'' The peculi- 
arity of this and some other texts is that the first and 
last clauses of the sentence belong to each other, while 



SANCTIFICATION. 281 

the two intcrvoning clauses belong to each. Thus the 
real meaning is " ye are washed, ye are sanctilied by 
the Spirit of our God, and ye are justified in the name 
of the Lord Jesus." We have a text of the same con- 
struction in the sermon on the mount : " Give not that 
which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your 
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their 
feet, and turn again and rend you." Matt. vii. 6. All 
critics know that the rending here spoken of is as- 
cribed to the dogs and the trampling to the swine, as 
if it read, " Give not that, which is holy unto the dogs 
lest they turn again and rend you, nor cast ye your 
pearls before swine lest they trample them under their 
feet." This form of construction it is well known can 
be found in the classics of all ancient nations. So 
that Paul does not confound justification and sanctifi- 
cation, nor put one for the other, as some have erro- 
neously supposed, yet it is a blessed truth that these 
gifts of God are never separated. Whoever has one 
has both. The prophet David in Psa. xxxii. 1, 2, and 
the apostle Paul in Kom. viii. 1, have both clearly 
taught us that the pardoned are without guile, and 
that the justified walk after the Spirit. He who 
would separate things which God has thus joined to- 
gether, does wickedly ; while to distinguish between 
them is an important duty and of great influence for 
good. 

24* 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



SANCTIFICATION, CONTINUED. 

Theee is a great mystery in sanctification. It is a 
mystery for the love it displays, for the power it mani- 
fests, for the method it employs, and for the work it 
accomplishes. ''We all with open face beholding as 
in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the 
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of 
the Lord/' When Moses looked upon that bright efful- 
gence in the mount, he gradually caught some of the 
same glory, so that his fixce shone. When we behold 
the image of the invisible God, as it is presented in 
the person and character of Christ, we too are made 
like it, not indeed by a mere natural effect, but " by 
the Spirit of the Lord.'' Likeness to God alone is 
holiness. Growth in this likeness is growth in grace. 
It is all by Jesus Christ. 

It is true that " the best of men are men at the 
best," and so are far from being perfect as their Father 
in heaven is perfect. '' There is no man that sinneth 
not." Yea, " there is not a just man upon earth, that 
doeth good, and sinneth not." But the righteous man 
is not a willing captive of sin, whereas the unrenewed 
man rejoiceth in iniquity. The child of God is be- 
coming more and more like God. The wicked wax 
worse and worse. The saint longs for God's salvation. 
The sinner sleeps not except he has done some mischief. 
(282) 



SANCTIFICATION. 283 

The heart of a believer is the be&t part about him. If 
he could have things as he would, he never would sin 
any more. The life of an unconverted man is com- 
monly not near so bad as his heart. He is restrained 
in many ways from acting out the worst that is in him. 
The holy man blushes at a sinful thought. The wicked 
man loves to have vain thoughts lodge within him. It 
is the business of a good man's life to please God and 
perfect holiness. It is the business of a sinner's life 
to please himself and commit sin. The work of puri- 
fying the heart shall be finished in due time, and all 
the righteous shall be satisfied, when they awake, with 
the likeness of God, fully drawn upon their souls. 

If we are called to be saints, we are not called to 
serve any but the Lord Christ. Holiness may be out 
of fashion here, but not in heaven. It is infinitely 
better to be '' a peculiar people, zealous of good works," 
than '' a people, laden with iniquity." When a prince 
was about to travel, he asked his tutor for some maxims, 
by which to govern his behaviour, and received this : 
''Remember that thou art the son of a king." Let all 
Christians remember that they are the sons and daugh- 
ters of the Lord Almighty," and " if sons, then heirs, 
heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ." With 
what force and point the exhortation comes to such, 
" Be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye trans- 
formed by the renewing of your mind." Children of 
the Highest, never forget that "ye cannot serve two 
masters." "Walk not after the flesh but after the 
Spirit." " They that walk after the Spirit do mind 
the things of the Spirit." If you entertain any view 
of gospel grace, which encourages you to lead a sinful 
or even a careless life, you have grossly perverted the 



284 SANCTIFICATION. 

gospel. Truth never generates licentiousness. Actual 
participation in Christ's righteousness is always mani- 
fested by the possession of his image and temper. 

It is sad proof of a wicked heart when a professor 
of Christ's gospel attempts to live as near as possible 
to the line separating sin from holiness. Let him 
eschew and abhor evil. Excess in many things is easy, 
but no man fears or hates sin too much. So far as we 
know, it is the only thing which God hates. There are 
many filthy reptiles, unclean beasts and venomous ser- 
pents from which we instinctively turn away ; yet God's 
tender mercies are over all of these. He opens his 
hand and supplies the want of every living thing. To 
the end which he proposed in their creation, they are 
well adapted. But sin is in its own nature and ten- 
dency only evil. God abhors it. It dishonours him, 
it grieves him, it vexes him. It is the only thing which 
does dishonour or offend him. He is angry with the 
wicked every day. When one of Christ's people sins, 
it is wounding our Saviour ''in the house of his 
friends." 

An alleged work of grace on the heart, which gives 
no outward signs and leaves the life wicked, is good 
for nothing. True holiness is not dormant but active, 
not merely a negation of evil, but the positiveness of 
good. For a while Joseph and Nicodemus may be 
timid, but when the great question is raised by the cru- 
cifixion, we find them open and bold disciples. The 
fruit of a holy nature is a holy life. Justin Martyr 
said : " God will admit none into his presence but such 
as can persuade him by their good works that they 
love him." If " God's husbandry" brings forth the 
same fruits and flowers and plants as grow in the wild 



SANCXmCATION. 285 

mountains of error, how is it better than they ? Surely 
^'love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, 
faith, meekness, temperance,'' are very different and 
very distinguishable from the works of the flesh. In 
some measure these graces belong to all, who are born 
from above, and grow with the increase of holiness in 
their hearts. Nor is there on earth a more interesting 
sight than a child of God warring with the flesh, re- 
sisting the devil, overcoming the world, working the 
works of God, fighting the good fight, and laying hold 
on eternal life. Such ^' shall do exploits,'' and at last 
sit down with Christ on his throne, as he also over- 
came, and is set down with his Father on his throne. 

The great test of personal piety is personal holiness. 
It is better to have the evidence of a meek, forgiving 
temper, of a serious, devout spirit, of a tender, grate- 
ful heart, of a chaste, pious conversation, of a con- 
sistent, holy life, in favour of our acceptance with God, 
than it would be to have an angel bring down from 
heaven the book of life, and show us our names written 
therein. This might astound, it might for a while de- 
light us ; but then we should probably soon become 
presumptuous, or fall into doubts, under the impression 
that we had been deluded. But a life of holiness is 
not only in the general reliable, it is in fact infallible 
evidence that we are God's people. Nothing can set 
it aside. Human character is like a web of cloth made 
up of a great number of small threads, any one of 
which is not very important or conspicuous, but all 
together make up the piece. He who thinks a fine 
selvedge at the last end will make his cloth salable or 
valuable will be deceived. '' Patient continuance in 
well-doing" constitutes the true test of excellence. 



286 SANCTIFICATION. 

Public and great occasions may furnish opportunities 
for wonderful displays of what men can sometimes do ; 
but they will commonly amount to little more than sad 
failures, unless the grace of God has been sufficient to 
enable a man to behave wisely in little things. 

When the world comes in with violence, will it not 
spoil all our pleasant things, unless there be one stronger 
still ? Who can look without trembling at a feeble 
creature, unguarded, unrestrained, unsupported by the 
grace of God, as the world makes its successive attacks 
upon him ? In the Bay of Fundy, where the tide rises 
to the height of from forty to sixty feet, and comes in 
with a tremendous roar, due warning is given. Yet 
with every precaution many vessels are lost. But when 
a tide of worldliness rolls in on the soul, its greatest 
swells are commonly noiseless, give no alarm, and seem 
to threaten nothing. Divine grace, not human power, 
must give us the victory over the world. Sometimes 
our inbred corruptions seem to defy all our vigilance 
and power. Our foes within us are lively, many and 
subtle. Then there are principalities and powers, and 
spiritual wickednesses in high places. These are the 
terror and the torment of the saints in every age. 
Who shall withstand them ? Who shall cause us to 
triumph over them ? None but God. He is mighty. 
He can make us conquerors and more than conquerors. 
In the words, "My grace is sufficient for thee,'' is 
found the last hope of sinking human nature. Our 
Rock is Christ. There never was any other. Nothing 
is too hard for him. Which side he is on is sure to 
conquer. By him holy men of old " subdued kingdoms, 
wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the 
mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped 



SANCTinCATION. 287 

the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made 
strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the 
armies of the aliens,'' &c. What has not divine grace 
done ? No deeds of fortitude or of heroism can com- 
pare with the achievements of the saints. Divine grace 
makes the feeble like David, and the house of David 
like the angel of God. It is stronger than passion, 
than the flesh, than the world, than fallen angels, than 
death and hell. Marvellous is the grace of God in all 
its displays and in all its eff'ects. " Though ye have 
lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a 
dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow 
gold." that all, who name the name of Christ, knew 
what this meaneth: ^' The Spirit is life because of 
righteousness/' 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



BELATIVE DUTIES. 

A PIOUS minister, in preaching to his people imme- 
diately preceding a communion season, invariably 
spoke of the performance of relative duties as a neces- 
sary proof of the sincerity of a religious profession. 
He was right. Bad parents, bad children, bad hus- 
bands, bad wives, bad masters, bad servants, bad rulers, 
bad subjects cannot be good Christians. On all these 
points the Scriptures speak explicitly : '' Parents, bring 
up your children in the nurture and admonition of 
the Lord, not provoking them to anger lest they be dis- 
couraged;" " Children, obey your parents in the Lord ;" 
" Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against 
them;" "Wives, obey your husbands;" "And ye 
masters, do the things that are just and equal ;" 
" Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters 
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling ;" " Let 
every soul be subject unto the higher powers ;" " Ren- 
der to all their dues;" these are but specimens of the 
stringent and clear teachings of God's word. Particu- 
larly has God put high honour upon the family rela- 
tion and guarded it at every point. It was formed in 
paradise, and has been continued ever since with many 
divine sanctions. The proper duties of it are pointed 
out in the ten commandments. Jesus Christ person- 
ally set an example of domestic subordination in his 
(288) 



RELATIVE DUTIES. 289 

childhood and youth, and of filial piety when he was 
dying. It is worthy of note that in the most tho- 
roughly doctrinal epistles of the New Testament, the 
apostles find room for pressing these duties. Nor is 
there a more striking difference between heathenism 
and Christianity, or between the pure and the corrupt 
forms of Christianity, than in their respective influence 
on families and on social life in general. 

The reasons urged in God's word for the careful 
performance of relative duties are many, and striking. 
They are such as these : " For that is right ;" " That 
he, who is of the contrary part, may be ashamed, hav- 
ing no evil thing to say of you ;" " That ye may put 
to silence the ignorance of foolish men;" ^'That if 
any obey not the word, they may be won by the con- 
versation of the wives, while they behold your chaste 
conversation, coupled with fear ;" " That the name of 
God and his doctrine be not blasphemed ;" " That they 
may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all 
things;'' ''If any provide not for his own, and spe- 
cially for those of his own house, he hath denied the 
faith and is worse than an infidel." Such reasonings 
cannot be answered, though their force may be evaded. 
No good man w^ill try to diminish their power over 
him. 

The virulence and malignity of communism are seen 
in nothing more plainly than in its various and violent 
assaults on the family institution. The folly of the 
high priests of this dreadful form of wickedness has 
commonly been made very manifest. The wild confu- 
sion, which has reigned over their practical endeavours, 
has in most cases resulted in speedy disorganization. 
Order supposes subordination ; and without this all at- 
25 



290 RELATIVE DUTIES. 

tempts to improve men or manners are idle. When 
one sees the waves dashing against the rock of Gib- 
raltar, he fears not that it will be carried away. So 
when men foam out their own shame and fury against 
institutions, which find their necessity in human nature, 
their sanction in God's revealed will, and their founda- 
tion in his unvarying ordinances, the result is not 
doubtful. When a spirit, leading men to canvass all 
opinions and to unsettle everything, first appears in 
each generation, the timid cry out: "What are we 
coming to?'* The ignorant gaze and gape as though 
they were about to see wonders ; the rash raise a shout 
and cry, "Here is wisdom ;" but the wise calmly set 
themselves to look at the foundations of things, and 
soon perceive the rock of truth, after which they are 
no more afraid with any amazement. " Those who at- 
tempt to level never equalize.'' They destroy, but 
they build not. 

Domestic virtue requires the elements of truth, jus- 
tice, uniformity, condescension, candour, gentleness 
and kindness from superiors ; respect, love, obedience, 
honour from inferiors ; truth, justice, tenderness and 
brotherly kindness from equals. A family thus regu- 
lated will be an emblem of the family named in heaven 
— an emblem, faint indeed, but clear enough to make 
a good man say: "It is good to be here." The very 
last place on earth, where the fires of virtue and piety 
burn, is the domestic hearth. A profession of even the 
true religion, when not accompanied by a cheerful and 
habitual performance of relative duties, is nothing 
worth. Heaven is not a den of outlaws. If we love 
not our brother whom we have seen, how can we love 
God whom we have not seen ? The merciful shall ob- 



RELATIVE DUTIES. 291 

tain mercy ; the cruel shall reap the fruit of their own 
doings ; the meek shall inherit the earth, but violent 
men shall not live out half their days. Tyrants and 
rebels are alike rejected. 

As truth is always in order to godliness, so it will 
produce its fruits under all circumstances. The rules 
of right arc few and simple. He may read that runs. 
Yet how little are they heeded except where impressed 
by religious sanctions and inwrought in the soul by 
the power of God's Spirit. Then they are mighty. 
Who can but admire the effects produced in a Chris- 
tian household by such maxims and precepts as 
these ? 

1. Be humble. " Only by pride cometh conten- 
tion." 

2. " Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from 
speaking guile." 

3. Find your own happiness in trying to make others 
happy. 

4. Mind your own business. Meddle not. Be not 
officious. 

5. Beware of a fretful, suspicious, or censorious 
temper. 

6. Overcome evil with good. Bless and curse not. 

7. " Love is the fulfilling of the law." 

8. Endeavour daily to add something to the com- 
mon stock of useful knowledge in your family. 

9. Do not magnify the trials or afflictions of life. 

10. Beware of sloth. There is no greater enemy 
of peace and happiness. 

11. Make it your business to serve God. 

12. Keep out of debt. " Owe no man anything." 
Duns breed bad tempers and mean dispositions. 



292 RELATIVE DUTIES. 

13. " Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy/' 
There is no happy family, that forgets that precept. 

14. Keep the end of life in view. This will re- 
press many vain wishes and chasten immoderate 
desires. 

15. Let your prayers be frequent and fervent. 

16. Never listen to scandal nor backbiting. 

17. Set the Lord always before you. Seek his 
glory. Do and suffer his will with readiness. 

18. Let Christ be all and in all. He is everything 
to us poor sinners. He is the chiefest among ten 
thousand and altogether lovely. 

19. Grieve not for things, which cannot be helped. 

20. Trust in the Lord for ever. 

There is something peculiarly pleasing in the mani- 
festations of the grace of Christ to a truly pious family, 
however humble their condition in life. Hitherto the 
Lord has gathered a far richer harvest of praise from 
the dwellings of the poor than from the palaces of 
kings. Not that humble souls in any rank of life are 
excluded, but it is so hard for the great to lie down in 
the dust, that most of them are offended in Christ. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



TEMPTATION. — HOW TO TREAT IT. 

Though it is not profane, yet it is foolish to speak 
lightly of the devil. He is not a sacred but he is a 
dangerous person. Thoughts of levity concerning him 
are quite out of place. They throw us off our guard, 
make us secure, lead us to sloth and carelessness, and 
thus to sin. He who is our adversary, and has slain 
his thousands and tens of thousands, is never more 
sure of his prey than when there is least fear of him. 
He began his work of revolt in heaven, afterwards in- 
vaded Eden, assaulted the Son of God himself with 
the greatest violence and rancor, and will always be 
busy till he is chained down in the pit. 

His ways are various. Sometimes he appears as an 
angel of light. He has cordials for wounded con- 
sciences. He speaks much of mercy. He delights in 
corrupting the truth. His great object is to keep men 
from embracing Christ. He has much to do with good 
men and religious ordinances. He never misses a ser- 
mon. He knows that men can go to hell in the pew 
of a church as well as in the box of a theatre. If they 
will rest in forms and be satisfied with the ordinances 
of God without the God of the ordinances, if they will 
go about to establish their own righteousness, and not 
submit to the righteousness of Christ, he will encourage 
25^ (293) 



294 TEMPTATION. — HOW TO TREAT IT. 

them, and help them to be joyful. He frequents our 
closets and there practises the same arts. 

Again, he will turn accuser. He will tell men it is 
too late to repent, and that it is vain for them to hope 
for mercy. He will roar like a lion. He delights in 
terrifying souls from Christ. He would scare all away 
from the cross. He has no pity. He is wholly malig- 
nant and unprincipled. To dishonour God, destroy 
souls, fill earth with woe and hell with the damned, is 
his trade and his delight. The keener the anguish, 
the more pitiless the remorse and the deeper the guilt 
of man, the more is Satan gratified. He does all he 
can to make earth like hell, men like devils, and saints 
like sinners. He delights in seeing all wickedness 
raging and rioting on earth. He is the God of the 
men of this world. He commands and they obey. He 
is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now 
worketh in the children of disobedience. His empire 
is built on usurpation and fraud, cruelty and crime, 
blood and rebellion. 

Christ came to destroy the reign of devils, nor will 
he rest till his enemies are put down. The most terrible 
blow Satan's empire ever received was in the death of 
Christ. In compassing that, Satan missed his mark. 
The resurrection, ascension to heaven, and session at 
the right hand of power showed the end of Christ's 
death and his Sonship with God. By all these Christ 
has bruised Satan under him. By pouring out the 
Holy Spirit, Christ continually weakens the power of 
the enemy. Satan rages, and hates, and lies, and mur- 
ders the saints ; but his kingdom must fall. The king- 
doms of the world shall become the kingdoms of the 
Lord, and of his Christ. Glorious things are spokeu 



TEMPTATION. — HOAV TO TREAT IT. 295 

of Zion, and they shall all bo fulfilled. Yet these very 
things awaken the malice of the arch enemy. Finding 
he cannot rule, he tempts and annoys the children of 
God. He is their great foe. He studies their tempers, 
and adapts his temptations to their age, office and in- 
clination. He commonly attacks them in the weakest 
point. He worries those whom he cannot destroy. If 
he cannot prevent their getting a crown, he will at least 
labour that it shall not be a bright one. There is no 
deeper distress of mind on earth than is sometimes felt 
by men sorely tempted by thoughts of unbelief, despair, 
blasphemy, or other sins. 

A few words of counsel are here offered to the 
tempted. 

1. Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you. 
Fight on. Be not terrified, nor faint at his assaults. 
He is not almighty. 

2. Do not attempt to out-wit and out-reason your 
adversary ; but like Christ, quote the word of God upon 
him. The metal of that sword is too high and its edge 
too keen for him. He hates to hear, " It is written/' 
or "Thus saith the Lord." 

3. Lay firm hold on the promises made to the 
tempted, and be strong in the Lord. " He will not 
sujQfer you to be tempted above that ye are able to 
bear." "With the temptation he will provide a way 
of escape." The promises when believed are fatal to 
Satan's suggestions. " My grace is sufficient for thee," 
rendered harmless all the buffetings of Satan in the 
case of Paul. Know God's word. Beware of igno- 
rance. 

4. Be much on your guard in times of high religious 
privilege and enjoyment. Pirates let empty vessels 



296 TEMPTATION. — HOW TO TREAT IT. 

pass without molestation, but attack those which are 
well freighted. " If thou contest to serve the Lord, 
prepare thyself for temptation.'* 

5. Be on your guard in the day of fear and sadness. 
Satan loves to terrify those already affrighted, and to 
oppress those already sorrowful. Encourage yourself 
in the Lord your God. 

6. " When a Christian is about some notable enter- 
prise for God's glory, then will Satan lie like a serpent 
in the way, or as an adder in the path, to bite the 
horse's heels that the rider may fall backward." In 
all new and difficult circumstances be vigilant. 

7. If formerly you have fallen under the power of 
any evil, take heed that you fall not again. One lapse 
often paves the way for another. 

8. Beware of attempting to comprehend things be- 
yond your reach, to understand things unintelligible, 
or to know things not revealed. " There are three 
kinds of straits, wherein Satan attempts to entrap 
believers, nice questions, obscure scriptures, and dark 
providences." 

9. Be humble. Humility is a defence better than 
all gifts besides. " All temptations are laid in self- 
righteousness and self-excellency. God pursues theo 
by setting Satan upon thee, as Laban pursued Jacob 
for his images. These must be torn from thee, how 
unwilling soever thou art. These hinder Christ from 
coming in." Humility cannot be too profound. '' With 
the lowly is wisdom." 

10. If you have been led astray in the least, hasten 
your return to God. Stay not away because you have 
sinned much or little. The message is the same to all 
who have erred. " Israel, return unto the Lord thy 



TEMPTATION. — HOW TO TREAT IT. 297 

God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take 
with you words, and turn to the Lord." 

11. If you have been able to repel the assaults of 
the wicked one, be encouraged but not rendered care- 
less. " Be not high-minded but fear." " Let him that 
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." " Satan's 
opportunity is a soul oflf its guard," said Hewitson. 
" The saint's sleeping time is the devil's tempting 
time," says Gurnall. Haweis says : " As not ignorant 
of his devices, we should especially beware of security. 
Let not Mm that putteth on the armour boast as he who 
putteth it off. When the cold turf covers our head, 
then the wicked will cease from troubling, and the 
weary have perfect rest; but here every step we take 
we are among lions, and must stand on our watch-tower, 
fearing always, and working out our salvation with that 
trembling and care which alone can secure it. A holy 
jealousy is the great preservative against falling away. 
The moment w^e begin to slumber, our watchful adver- 
sary is ready to take advantage against us ; but blessed 
is the man whom his Lord when he cometh shall find 
watching.'^ 

12. Be greatly on your guard in solitude, or when 
called to perform duty alone, and without the aid and 
encouragement of others. Watch closely then your 
thoughts and ways. "Two are better than one ; be- 
cause they have a good reward for their labour. For 
if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow ; but woe to 
him that is alone when he falleth ; for he hath not 
another to help him up." Ecc. iv. 9, 10. It seems to 
have been when Eve was alone that she was tempted 
and overcome, and so she was first in the transgression. 
Satan knew what an advantage solitude would give him 



298 TEMPTATION. — HOW TO TREAT IT. 

in plying the blessed Master with his wicked sugges- 
tions when he was in the wilderness. Doubtless our 
Lord felt this at that time. It is certain he felt his 
solitude in his last temptation, when " he cometh unto 
his disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto 
Peter, What ! could ye not watch with me one hour if*' 

13. When you find yourself quite fascinated with 
any temporal plans, pursuits or pleasures, set a double 
guard against temptation. 

" We should suspect some danger nigh, 
Where we possess delight/^ 

The Bible urges moderation and the suppression of 
inordinate affection by the most solemn considerations, 
such as that ''the Judge standeth before the door ;" 
"The Lord is at hand.'' 

14. Be prepared for temptations at all times. Sataa 
invades our most sacred retirements. He follows u3 
everywhere. He is the "lion of the evening." He 
may assault you even when dying a Christian death. 
When great John Knox was near his end, he lay with 
his eyes closed for a while, but sighed deeply. Being 
asked the cause, he said: ''I have formerly, during 
my frail life, sustained many contests and many assaults 
of Satan, but at present that roaring lion has assailed 
me most furiously, and put forth all his strength to 
devour and make an end of me at once. Often before 
hath he placed my sins before my eyes, often tempted 
me to despair, often attempted to ensnare me by the 
allurements of the world ; but these weapons being 
broken by the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, 
he could not prevail. Now he has attacked me in 
another way. The cunning serpent has laboured to 
persuade me that I have merited heaven and eternal 



TEMPTATION. — IIOW TO TREAT IT. 299 

blessedness by the faithful discharge of my ministry. 
But, blessed be God, who has enabled me to beat down 
and quench his fiery darts by suggesting to me such 
passages of Scripture as these : ' What hast thou, that 
thou hast not received ? By the grace of Grod I am 
what I am ; not J, but the grace of Gfod in me.' Being 
thus vanquished, he left me." 

15. Beware of idleness. Be diligent in business. 
Keep your mind employed in something profitable, 
and your hands engaged in something lawful. " Our 
idle days are the devil's busy ones," says Bishop Hall. 

16. Our great refuge in temptation is the throne of 
grace, sprinkled with atoning blood. In vain will we 
watch unless we pray. In vain will we pray, if we 
plead any goodness of our own. Let us make mention 
of Christ's righteousness, even of his only. " There 
are no saving views of God but in Christ, and there 
are no gracious views God hath of men but in Christ. 
If we look on God out of Christ, we are dazzled with 
an overwhelming, confounding majesty ; if God look 
on us out of Christ, he seeth hateful and hated sin- 
ners." Nothing but the blood of Christ can quench 
the fire of God's wrath, the fire of lust, or the fiery 
darts of Satan. That blood can be found at the throne 
of grace, and nowhere else. Hold fast also all God's 
word says of Christ's intercession. It is life from the 
dead to the tempted. " Simon, Simon, Satan hath 
desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat ; 
but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." 
Luke xxii. 31, 32. " Seeing that we have a great 
High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the 
Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we 
have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with 



300 TEMPTATION. — HOW TO TREAT IT. 

the feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all points 
tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us there- 
fore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we 
may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of 
need." Heb. iv. 14 — 16. '' And I heard a loud voice 
saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, 
and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his 
Christ ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, 
which accused them before our God day and night. 
And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by 
the word of their testimony ; and they loved not their 
lives unto the death." Rev. xii. 10, 11. Are you con- 
tent, are you resolved to walk in their footsteps ? If 
so, you too shall soon overcome. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



THE POWER OF DIVINE GRACE TO CONSOLE. 

The gospel is called the power of God, and the wis- 
dom of God. Nor is it losing any of its efScacy. In 
the hands of the Holy Spirit it works wonders. The 
secret of its power is chiefly in its grace. By reveal- 
ing love it begets love. "Responsibility prevents 
crimes and makes all attempts against law dangerous.'' 
But love goes much further. It never ceases to desire 
to serve and please. It is ingenious in devising 
methods of service. It is full of alacrity, life and en- 
ergy. It never counts the cost, and is patient of endu- 
rance ; even as '' Jacob served seven years for Rachel, 
and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love 
he had to her." Important as are the principles of 
natural religion, it is an honour peculiar to revealed 
truth, that it converts the soul. It not only converts 
men ; it guides and cheers, purifies and elevates their 
minds. It throws floods of light on the darkness that 
surrounds us, and makes us sweetly submissive to God's 
will and authority. Who does not need such help ? 
There is no sober mind on earth, which, like the sun- 
dial, notes only the unclouded hours. We all have our 
days of darkness. " Man, that is born of a woman, is 
of few days, and full of trouble.'' " Who has not lost 
26 (301) 



302 THE POWER OF DIVINE GKACE TO CONSOLE. 

a friend?" Who has not wept over departed joys, 
blighted hopes, and darkened prospects ? At times 
nature casts a dark pall over all her face, providence 
assumes a threatening aspect, fears rise up like moun- 
tains in our path, and trouble comes in like waves of 
the sea, or falls like water-spouts from heaven. At 
such a time, God's Spirit can pour light and joy into 
our hearts, and give us songs in the house of our pil- 
grimage. But if so, he will put great honour upon the 
Bible. " Remember the word unto thy servant, upon 
which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my com- 
fort in my affliction : for thy word hath quickened 
me." Psa. cxix. 49, 50. Solid peace to the troubled 
mind must be based in the pardon of sin and the favour 
of God. The gospel calls the poor and needy, the 
weary and heavy-laden, the sad and sorrowful, and 
leads them to Christ, and through his blood and right- 
eousness gives comfort, which can be found nowhere 
else. Even a little divine knowledge firmly believed 
will do great things for us in the day of calamity, 
while a soul without acquaintance with God is shut up 
to misery. 

Marcus Fabius Quintilian was a great critic, advo- 
cate and orator. He was the friend of Pliny, and re- 
ceived the favour of the emperors. He died at Rome 
A. D. GO. His great work is his "Institutes of the 
Orator." The introduction to the sixth book of this 
treatise relates the loss of his wife and children, and 
especially the recent death of a promising son. What 
are his thoughts on an occasion so full of interest ? 
He complains of the '^bitterness of fortune," and 
says that this was " the second wound that was struck 
deep to afflict me, now a childless father ! What then 



THE POWER or DIVINE GRACE TO CONSOLE. 303 

shall I do ? or on what shall I any more employ the 
unhappy talents, which the gods seem to reprove ? It 
was my misfortune to be borne down by a like stroke, 
when I set about writing the book, which I gave to the 
public, ' On the Causes of the Corruption of Eloquence/ 
Why then did I not cast into the fire that accursed 
work ? Why did not I commit it, with that little un- 
happy learning I might have, to the flames of the 
funeral pile kindled so untimely to consume my 
bowels ? * * What good parent would pardon me, if I 
again engaged in study ? Who would not detest my 
insensibility, if I made any other use of my voice, than 
to vent complaints against the injustice of the gods, 
who have made me survive all that was dearest to me in 
the world ; if I did not proclaim aloud that there is no 
providence in the regulation of human affairs ? * * 
There reigns a secret envy, jealous of our happiness, 
which pleases itself in nipping the bud of our hopes. 
* * If my life be my crime, it shall also be my pun- 
ishment. * "* I can brave fortune ; it has brought my 
vexations to their height, and in this I find a doleful 
but just security/' Who can without a shudder of 
horror read such effusions of rage, pride, suUenness 
and impiety ? A human soul, thus stung, rebellious 
and maddened, is one of the saddest spectacles ever 
beheld on earth. A wild bull caught in a net, and 
filling the forest with his roaring, is a Hebrew 
emblem of a man thus minded. In the day of ca- 
lamity how gloomy is heathenism, how cheerless is 
philosophy ! Neither brings any solace to the stricken 
heart. 

On the other hand a little light from heaven is a 
blessing. The man of Uz was also a great orator. 



304 THE POWER OF DIVINE GKACE TO CONSOLE.' 

" Unto him men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence 
at his counsel." After his words " they spoke not 
again, and they waited for him as for the rain." He 
was held in the highest veneration. " When the young 
men saw him, they hid themselves." In his presence 
*' the aged arose and stood up. The princes refrained 
talking, and laid their hands on their mouth. The 
nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the 
roof of their jaws." He was also the greatest captain 
of his age. " He dwelt as king in the army. He 
brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil 
out of his teeth." He was also a great philanthropist. 
'' When the ear heard him then it blessed him ; and 
when the eye saw him, it gave witness to him ; because 
he delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, 
and him that had none to help him. * * He caused 
the widow's heart to sing for joy; he was eyes to the 
blind, and feet to the lame. He was a father to the 
poor : and the cause, which he knew not, he searched 
out.^' He was also the richest man in the East. "He 
washed his steps with butter, and the rock poured him 
out rivers of oil." For a long time he enjoyed this 
prosperity and said, " I shall die in my nest, and mul- 
tiply my days as the sand." "His root was spread 
out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon his 
branch. His glory was fresh in him, and his bow was 
renewed in his hand." He had seven thousand sheep, 
three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and 
a great number of servants. He had also ten children, 
seven sons and three daughters. Yet in one day all 
were taken from him. He was bereft indeed, and with 
crushing suddenness. Suspicion instantly wrapped 
him in her poisoned mantle, and neglect from his ser- 



THE rOWEll OF DIVINE GRACE TO CONSOLE. 305 

vants, and scorn from the abjects speedily followed. 
'' Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his 
head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 
and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, 
and naked shall I return thither : The Lord gave, and 
the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of 
the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged 
God foolishly." Job i. 20 — 22. It is commonly be- 
lieved that Job lived before any part of God's word 
"was written, thougli not before many important truths 
had been revealed to the fathers. He had some light, 
though not the full light of the gospel. He also em- 
braced the truth as far as he knew it. Behold the dif- 
ference between the proud Roman and the humble 
Arabian, the former without God in the world, the lat- 
ter saying, " I will trust him though he slay me." 
Quintilian lived in the days of Christ and his apostles, 
and might have heard Paul preach, and might have 
known the truth as it is in Jesus. In one sentence of 
his work he is thought by some to have made a scorn- 
ful allusion to the Christians. Strange that a man 
should blaspheme his own gods, and yet see no need 
of a better religion. Without the light of truth, life 
is without happiness, and death is without hope. A 
false religion is a horrible engine of torture. But the 
gospel freely offers precious blessings to all the sons 
of men, and especially to the children of sorrow. So 
that all, who heartily embrace it, may even •'rejoice 
in tribulation." How strange it is that any should 
oppose the spread of the gospel. How can one defend 
himself from the charge of malignancy, w^hen he 
would withhold from the wretched of his race the cup 
of divine consolations ? Let those, who tell of the hap- 
26^ 



806 THE POWER OF DIVINE GRACE TO CONSOLE. 

piness of the heatlien, henceforth keep silence. " Their 
sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another 
god." Their idols " have mouths but they speak not ; 
eyes have they, but they see not ; they have ears but 
they hear not ; noses have they, but they smell not ; 
they have hands, but they handle not ; feet, but they 
walk not ; neither speak they through their throat. 
They that make them are like unto them ; so is every 
one that trusteth in them." There is but one only 
living and true God ; and Jesus Christ is his Son. His 
mediation alone can bring salvation. His word is 
truth. His blood is the sole efficacious sacrifice for sin. 
His gospel is glad tidings of great joy to all, that hear 
the joyful sound. Blessed are they, all they, and only 
they, who have made Jehovah their refuge, and hope 
and portion. This must be done with the heart. The 
Holy Ghost must illumine the darkened understanding, 
else we shall be like the bat and the owl, which see not 
at noon. The divine Spirit alone can so reveal to us 
the fulness and excellency of Christ, as to enable us 
to ^^ glory in tribulation." Oh that all the wretched 
would come and with joy draw water out of the wells 
of salvation. Jesus came " to appoint unto them that 
mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil 
of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the 
spirit of heaviness." " Happy is he that hath the God 
of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his 
God : which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all 
that therein is ; which executeth judgment for the op- 
pressed ; which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord 
loveth the prisoners. The Lord openeth the eyes of 
the blind; the Lord raiseth them that are bowed 
down ; the Lord loveth the righteous ; the Lord pre- 



THE POWER OF DIVINE GrvACE TO CONSOLE. SOT 

serveth the strangers ; he relieveth the fatherless and 
mdow; but the way of the wicked he turneth 
upside down. The Loud shall reign for ever, even 
thy God, Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye 
the Lord." 



CHAPTER XXXYI. 



AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS — SAYINGS — PROMISES. 

It has long excited surprise that God's people should 
in all ages quietly bear the ills of life. Sinners have 
fainted at seeing or hearing of sufferings, in which the 
patient publicly and loudly gloried. The grace of 
Christ is very delightfully manifested in taking aAvay 
the evil of affliction, in giving support under it, in 
bringing good out of it, and in granting a final victory 
over it. Perhaps there is on earth no saint, who be- 
lieves that he could have made his present attainments 
with less affliction than has fallen to his lot. Nor is 
there any good man, who has fully escaped from 
any trial, however grievous, who does not look back 
with gratitude to the mercy manifested both in send- 
ing and in sanctifying it to his good. Indeed from 
the earliest times down to the present, such strange 
things have been said and done under and after the 
sorest afflictions, as can be accounted for in no way 
irrespective of the amazing kindness of the Lord Jesus. 
Scripture, Church History, and Religious Biography 
abound in what the wicked commonly esteem para- 
doxes on this subject. Instead of framing any formal 
argument, or indulging in any exhortation on the sub- 
ject, some of these immortal sentences are set down 
for the use of all concerned. Let us first look at a 
(308) 



AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 309 

few found in God's word : '' Shall we receive good at 
the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil ?" — 
Job. " Our God has punished us less than our ini- 
quities deserve." — Ezra, " I was dumb, I opened not 
my mouth; because thou didst it." "It is good for 
me that I have been afflicted ; that I might learn thy 
statutes." '' Before I was afflicted I went astray : but 
now have I kept thy word." — David. "I will look 
unto the Lord ; I will wait for the God of my salva- 
tion ; my God will hear me." " The Lord doth not 
afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." 
"Wherefore should a living man complain, a man for 
the punishment of his sins?" — Jeremiah. "Rejoice 
not against me, mine enemy ; when I fall, I shall 
arise ; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light 
unto me." — MicaJi. "Although the fig-tree shall not 
blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines ; the labour 
of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no 
meat ; the flock shall be cut oflf from the fold, and 
there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice 
in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." — 
Habahkuh. " All that the Father giveth me shall come 
to me ; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise 
cast out." " Peace I leave with you, my peace I give 
unto you ; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. 
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be 
afraid." — Jesus Christ. "We know that all things 
work together for good to them that love God, to them 
who are the called according to his purpose." "Our 
light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for 
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 
" If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him." 
'^-Paul. 



310 AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 

The secret of these triumphs of faith is disclosed in 
two precious passages of Scripture, each of which shows 
the connection of all these things with Jesus Christ. 
The first is in Rev. iii. 19, where the Son of God says, 
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." If any 
word in this sentence should be emphatic, perhaps it 
is the pronoun, L The other passage is in Isa. Ixiii. 
9 : '' In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the 
angel of his presence saved them ; in his love and in 
his pity he redeemed them ; and he bare them, and 
carried them all the days of old.'' " The angel of his 
presence" is unquestionably the same that Malachi 
calls the Angel or '' Messenger of the covenant." The 
grace of Christ always was the stay of the Church. 
He has chosen his people in the furnace of affliction. 
In short God fulfils to them those faithful promises, 
" When thou passest through the waters, I will be with 
thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow 
thee ; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt 
not be burned ; neither shall the flame kindle upon 
thee." Isa. xliii. 2. "I will not leave you comfort- 
less; I will come to you." John xiv. 18. "Even 
the very hairs of your head are all numbered." 
Luke xii. 7. " As thy days, so shall thy strength be." 
Deut. xxxiii. 25. 

Not only do we find the Scriptures full of such 
things as have just been quoted, but even since the 
close of the sacred canon the Church of God has been 
full of precious sayings suited to encourage the most 
sorrowing. Here is a short and very imperfect selec- 
tion of such thoughts, given merely as a specimen of 
the common sentiments of God's people respecting af- 
fliction. It will be readily seen that they are drawn 
from the word of God. 



AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 311 

" God had one Son on earth without sin, but never 
one without affliction." — Augustine. 

^'Afflictions are the theology of Christians/' — 
Luther. 

"Without adversity grace withers.'' — Mason. 

" God may cast down but he will never cast off true 
believers. ' ' — Case. 

"Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions." — 
Dodd. 

" Time is short ; and, if your cross is heavy, you 
have not far to carry it." — Anon. 

"Afflictions are blessings to us, when we can bless 
God for afflictions." — Dyer. 

" Christian, hath not God taught thee, by his word 
and Spirit, how to read the short-hand of his provi- 
dence ? Dost thou not know that the saints' afflictions 
stand for blessings?" — Grurnall. 

"iVb righteous man would, in his right mind, be 
willing to make an exchange of his smartest afflictions 
for a wicked man's prosperity, with all the circum- 
stances attending it. It cannot therefore be bad with 
the righteous in the worst condition." — Charnoch. 

" This winter-weather shall be useful to destroy and 
rot those rank weeds, which the summer of prosperity 
bred." — Flavel. 

" The school of the cross is the school of light." — 
Anon. 

" God's people have often been carried to heaven in 
the fiery chariot of affliction." — Mrs. Savage. 

" Winter leads the sap down into the roots, while 
summer calls it up into the branches, and displays it in 
the blossoms and fruit." — Jay. 

'J The tree of the cross being cast into the waters 



312 APFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 

of affliction has rendered them wholesome and medici- 
nal." — Owen. 

" Our departed Christian friends cannot descend to 
share with us in our sorrows ; but by holy contempla- 
tion we may daily ascend, and partake with them in 
their joys." — Howe. 

" In times of affliction we commonly meet with the 
sweetest experiences of the love of God." — Bunyan. 

" As no temporal blessing is good enough to be a 
sign of eternal election; so no temporal affliction is 
bad enough to be an evidence of reprobation." — Ar- 
rowsmith. 

" What unthankfulness is it to forget our consola- 
tions, and to look only upon matter of grievance ; to 
think so much upon two or three crosses as to forget 
an hundred blessings." — Sibbs. 

"Every man has a heaven and a hell. Earth is the 
sinner's heaven ; his hell is to come. The godly have 
their hell upon earth, when they are vexed with temp- 
tations and afflictions by Satan and his accomplices, 
their heaven is above in endless happiness. If it be 
ill with me on earth, it is well that my torment is so 
short and easy ; I cannot be so unreasonable as to ex- 
pect two heavens." — Bishop Hall. 

"All is well that ends everlastingly well." — Anon. 

" It is a blessed thing for the afflicted to wait God's 
time and determination.'^ — Liglitfoot. 

" When temporal evils are effectual means to pro- 
mote our everlasting happiness, the amiableness and 
excellency of the end changes their nature, and makes 
these calamities that in themselves are intolerable to 
become light and easy." — Anon. 

" Crosses and afflictions are God's call to examine 
our hearts and our lives," — Richardson. 



AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 313 

" Too much honey doth turn to gall, and too much 
joy, even spiritual, would make us wantons. Happier 
a great deal is that man's case, whose soul by inward 
desolation is humbled, than he whose heart is through 
abundance of spiritual delight lifted up and exalted 
above measure. Better it is sometimes to go down 
into the pit with him, who beholding darkness, and be- 
wailing the loss of inward joy and consolation, crieth 
from the bottom of the lowest hell, My Grod, my Crod^ 
why hast thou forsaken me ? than continually to walk 
arm in arm with angels, to sit as it were in Abraham's 
bosom, and to have no thought, no cogitation, but, I 
thank my Grod it is not with me as it is with other 
men. ^ * — Hooker. 

" Through Christ's satisfaction for sin, the very na- 
ture of affliction is changed, with regard to believers. 
As death, which was, at first, the wages of sin, is now 
become a bed of rest (Isa. Ivii. 2) ; so afflictions are 
not the rod of God's anger, but the gentle physic of a 
tender father." — Crisp. 

"That is always best for us, which is best for our 
souls." — P. Henry. 

"Afflictions are sent to stir up prayer. If they 
have that effect, and, when we are afflicted, we pray 
more, and pray better, than before, we may hope that 
God will hear our prayer, and give ear to our cry ; 
for the prayer, which, by his providence, he gives oc- 
casion for, and which, by his Spirit of grace, he in- 
dites, shall not return void." — M. Henry. 

" If we have the kingdom at last, it is no great mat- 
ter what we suffer by the way." — Manton. 

" To the poor, humble, and despised believer the 
kingdom of heaven exclusively belongs ; there his best 
27 



314 ArFLicTioNS or the RianTEous. 

desires will be eternally satisfied, his tears will be 
changed for triumphant songs of joy, and 'his reward 
will be great' in the blessed society of the holy pro- 
phets and apostles ; and in that of the incarnate Son 
of God, who passed the same way to his glory." — 
JDr. Thomas Scott, 

''No cloud can overshadow a true Christian but his 
faith may discern a rainbow in it." — Anon. 

"He, who is prepared in whatsoever state he is 
therewith to be content, has learned effectually the art 
of being happy, and possesses . the alchymic stone, 
which will change every metal into gold." — D wight. 

" I have never met with a single instance of adver- 
sity which I have not afterwards seen to be for my 
good." " I have never heard a Christian on his death- 
bed complaining of his afflictions." — Dr. Alexander 
Proudfit. 

" All the sufferings of the believer are not hell, but 
they are all the hell he shall suffer." — Mason. 

" Christians ought neither to expect nor wish to 
have suffering with Christ, disconnected with their be- 
ing glorified with him. The former is a preparation 
for the latter. Rom. viii. 17." — Hodge. 

" Oh, what must Christ be in himself, when he 
sweetens heaven, sweetens Scriptures, sweetens ordi- 
nances, sweetens earth, and even sweetens trials !" — 
J. Brown of Haddington. 

" It is happy for us if we have suffered enough to 
make us desire a better country, that is a heavenly ; 
but surely all the painful experiences we have hitherto 
met with have not been more than sufficient to bring 
us into this waiting posture." — Joh7i Neivtoyi. 

" God denies a Christian nothing, but with a design 
to give him something better." — Cecil. 



AFFLICTIONS OF THE KIGIITEOUS. 315 

" If the blessed Jesus, who had no sin of his own, 
bore the wrath of his heavenly Father for a world of 
sinners, how willingly ought I to endure all the pain I 
suffer, if my dying example might be but the means 
of the salvation of one soul." — David litce of Ky. 
J5 " There is really much more real satisfaction to be 
found in a crucified than in an idolized world." — 
'Wither 8]^oon, 

" AYherefore will not God 
E^en now, from ills on others brought, exempt 
The offspring of regenerating grace, 
The children of his love? Imperfect yet, 
They need the chastening of eternal care, 
To save them from the wily blandishments 
Of error, and to win their hearts away 
From the polluting, ruining joys of earth.^' 

\Carlos Wilcox. 

One thing is a source of unspeakable comfort to 
God's people in all their tribulation. It is that God 
will in fact never leave them, nor forsake them. Their 
wants shall be all supplied. That great witness for 
Christ, Cyprian, says : " Indeed it is impossible that a 
good man should be in want of his daily bread. It is 
expressly promised, ' the Lord will not suffer the soul 
of the righteous to famish.' And again it is written : 
^ I have been young, and now am old ; yet have I not 
seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging 
bread.' And our Lord has thus encouraged our de- 
pendence upon him in the following words : ' Take no 
thought, saying. What shall we eat ? or, what shall we 
drink ? or wherewithal shall we be clothed ? (for after 
all these things do the gentiles seek) for your Heavenly 
Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 



316 AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his right- 
eousness, and all these things shall be added unto 
you/ We see that he promises that every thing else 
of this kind and nature shall be added to those, who 
seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. For 
since all things are God's, he who hath God will have 
all things with him, if he on his part be not wanting 
in his duty to God." Whatever will be to our advan- 
tage, if we shall act virtuously, is not only just but 
benevolent. And if any thing more be wanting here 
it is : " Many are the afflictions of the righteous : but 
the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Psa. xxxiv. 19. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL HOLD ON HIS WAY. 

The regenerate have many fears. Tlicy know the 
power, cunning, and malice of their enemies to be 
great. They are also conscious of much weakness and 
corruption. In themselves they have no might. So 
far as fears lead men to watch and pray in faith and 
hope, they are useful. But where they beget discour- 
agement, or diminish confidence in God, they are sinful 
and mischievous. One apprehension of the pious is 
that sin may regain its dominion over them, and at last 
all their hopes of heaven be disappointed. They often 
have great fears about their final acceptance. Even 
when they cannot deny that God has done great things 
for them, they sometimes fear that yet there may be 
some deception in their case, and so all their hopes be 
blasted. To such the truth should be often and clearly 
presented, that those who have been really born again 
shall neither totally nor finally fall away from the 
favour of God and the power of his grace, but shall 
surely hold on their way unto death, and be for ever 
saved. The assurance of final victory warranted by 
Scripture is not in any degree built upon natural 
courage, or firmness, or goodness, or strength of mind, 
or of resolution. None more readily than the friends 
of this doctrine admit that " because of the remains 
of indwelling sin, and moreover, also, because of the 
27^ (317) 



318 THE RiaHTEOUS SHALL HOLD ON HIS WAY. 

temptations of the world and of Satan, the converted 
could not continue in a gracious state, if they were left 
to their own strength." Nor is it denied or doubted 
that truly converted persons may be left by God to fall 
into grievous sins, from which if they were not rescued 
by pardoning and restoring mercy, they could not be 
saved. The two memorable cases of David and Peter 
settle this point. Sin has as fearful a malignity in the 
case of a child of God as in that of the openly pro- 
fane. If it does not utterly and eternally destroy, it 
is God's grace that makes the difference between one 
case and another. The Scriptures thus provide : '' If 
his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judg- 
ments ; if they break my statutes, and keep not my 
commandments ; then will I visit their transgressions 
with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Never- 
theless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from 
him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." Psa. Ixxxix. 
30 — 33. " Though a good man fall, he shall not be 
utterly cast down ; for the Lord upholdeth him with 
his hand." Psa. xxxvii. 24. 

And yet it is true that all who are justified shall at 
last be glorified. So the Scriptures clearly teach. 
" The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath 
clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger." Job 
xvii. 9. '' This God is our God for ever and ever ; he 
will be our guide even unto death." Psa. xlviii. 14. 
^' Being confident of this very thing, that he which 
hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until 
the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. i. 6. "I give unto 
my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, 
neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My 
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all ; and 



THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL HOLD ON HIS WAY. 319 

none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." 
John X. 28, 29. "Because I live, ye shall live also." 
John xiv. 19. " Having loved his own, which were in 
the world, he loved them to the end." John xiii. 1. 
" Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath 
made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all 
things and sure. For this is all my salvation, and all 
my desire." 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. " The Lord will perfect 
that which concerneth me." Psa. cxxxviii. 8. ''With 
everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith 
the Lord thy Redeemer." Isa. liv. 8. "Whosoever is 
born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remain- 
eth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of 
God." 1 John iii. 9. "Ye are kept by the power of 
God through faith unto salvation." 1 Pet. i. 5. " The 
foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, 
The Lord knoweth them that are his." 2 Tim. ii. 19. 
" By one offering he hath for ever perfected them that 
are sanctified." Heb. x. 14. See also John xvii. 11, 
24 ; Heb. vii. 25, and ix. 12 — 15 ; Luke xxii. 32. From 
these and similar passages of Scripture we can but 
infer the certainty of the final salvation of all believers, 
and we base the doctrine as the Scriptures do upon the 
nature of the covenant of grace, upon the promised 
aid of God's Spirit, upon the efficacy of Christ's blood, 
upon the prevalency of Christ's intercession, upon the 
incorruptible nature of the divine seed within us, and 
upon the unchangeableness of God's love and counsels. 
On this subject there is a very powerful and conclu- 
sive species of argument several times resorted to by 
Paul: "If when we were enemies, we were reconciled 
to God by the death of his Son ; much more, being re- 
conciled, we shall be saved by his life." Rom. v. 10. 



320 THE maiiTEOus shall hold on his way. ' 

Again : " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered 
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely 
give us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. The pious Char- 
nock very forcibly presents the true spirit of such rea- 
soning, when he says : ^' If God has made thee (of a 
great sinner) the object of his mercy, thou mayest be 
assured of the continuance of his love. He pardoned 
thee when thou wast an enemy ; will he leave thee now 
that thou art his friend ? He loved thee when thou 
hadst rased out in a great measure his image and pic- 
ture, which he had set in thy soul ; will he hate thee 
now, since he has restored that image, and drawn it 
with fresh colours ? He justified thee when thou wast 
ungodly ; and will he cast thee oif, since he hath been 
at such pains about thee, and written in thee a coun- 
terpart of his own divine nature in the work of grace ? 
Were his bowels first moved when thou hadst no grace ; 
and will they not sound louder when thou hast grace ? 
Thou hadst a rich present of his grace sent thee when 
thou couldst not pay for it ; and will he not much more 
give thee whatever is needful when thou callest upon 
him ? He was found of thee when thou didst not seek 
him ; and will he hide himself from thee, when thou 
art inquiring after him ? God considered before he 
began with thee, what charge thou wouldst stand him 
in, both of merit in Christ, and of grace in thee ; so 
that the grace he hath given thee is not only a mercy 
to thee, but an obligation on himself, since his credit 
is engaged to complete it. Thou hast more unanswer- 
able arguments to plead before him than thou hadst, 
viz., his Son, his truth, his promise, his grace, his 
name, wherein before thou hadst not the least interest. 
To what purpose hath God called thee and washed 



THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL HOLD ON HIS WAT. 321 

thee, if he did not intend to supply thee with as much 
grace as shall bring thee to glory ? Hath God given 
thee Christ, and will he detain [withhold] anything 
else ?" God never begins to build without knowing 
that he is able to finish. 

Paul's reasoning from such premises is of precisely 
the same description. Here it is : " Who shall lay any- 
thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that 
justifieth. Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ 
that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is ever 
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession 
for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? 
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, 
or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? * * Nay in all these 
things we are more than conquerors, through him that 
loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor 
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor 
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor 
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate 
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.'' 
Rom. viii. 33—39. 

And what an illustrious display of almightiness is 
here ! " Perhaps it is a greater energy of divine power, 
which keeps the Christian from day to day, from year 
to year, — praying, hoping, running, believing — against 
all hindrances — which maintains him a living martyr — 
than that which bears him up for an hour in sacrificing 
himself at the stake." To be girded with omnipotence 
will make any one triumphant. To surround any man 
with walls of fire will secure to the feeblest safety and 
deliverance. If Christ dying could procure us a par- 
don, if Christ rising could secure for us justification, 
surely Christ interceding can supply us with strength^ 



322 THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL HOLD ON HIS WAY. 

Christ reigning can give us the victory, and Christ 
sitting in judgment can and will give us a final and 
glorious acquittal. Fairer, stronger reasoning can 
nowhere be found. 

" He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath 
not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John v. 12. On 
this an old writer well says : "If he, who once has the 
Son, may cease to love the Son, though it be for a mo- 
ment, he ceases for that moment to have life. But the 
life of them which have the Son of God, is everlasting 
in the world to come. But because as Christ being 
raised from the dead, died no more, death hath no more 
power over him ; so justified man being allied to God 
in Jesus Christ our Lord, doth as necessarily from that 
time forward always live, as Christ, by whom he hath 
life, liveth always." The same writer says: "The 
faith of God's people, when it is at the strongest, is 
but weak ; yet even then, when at the weakest, it is so 
strong, that utterly it never faileth, it never perisheth 
altogether, no not in them who think it extinguished 
in themselves." Some persons, who make a great show 
of zeal for old English divines, will turn away from 
such doctrine, although these are the very words of 
Richard Hooker. Indeed he uses if possible still 
stronger language : "'I know whom I have believed.' 
I am not ignorant whose precious blood has- been shed 
for me. I have a Shepherd full of kindness, full of 
love, and full of power: unto him I commit myself. 
His own finger hath engraven this sentence on the 
tables of my heart : ' Satan hath desired to winnow 
thee as wheat, but I have prayed that thy faith fail 
not.' Therefore the assurance of my hope I will labour 
to keep as a jewel unto the end, and by labour, through 



THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL HOLD ON HIS WAY. 323 

the gracious mediation of his prayer, I shall keep it." 
Dr. Scott, in his Force of Truth, having quoted this 
paragraph, says : " With such words in my mouth, and 
such assurance in my heart, I wish to live, and hope 
to die." 

Such has long been the doctrine of the church of 
God, excepting only the Remonstrants of the Low 
Countries and their followers in this and other lands. 
The Synod of Dort records the historical verity con- 
cerning this doctrine, in saying : '' The spouse of Christ 
hath always most tenderly loved it, as a treasure of 
inestimable value, and hath constantly defended it, 
which indeed that she may still do, God will provide." 
Again : " The Synod judges these doctrines to be agree- 
able to the Confessions of the Reformed Churches." 

Some object to the doctrine : 1. That numerous per- 
sons make a great show of piety, and by and by fall 
quite away. This is true ; but John (1 John ii. 19) 
explains their conduct : " They went out from us, but 
they were not of us ; for if they had been of us, they 
would no doubt have continued with us : but they went 
out, that they might be made manifest that they were 
not all of us." 

2. Some object that such doctrine renders means 
unnecessary. But no church so holds the doctrine. 
The Synod of Dort says that " by hearing, reading, 
meditation, by exhortations, threatenings, promises, 
and moreover by the use of the sacraments, God pre- 
serves, continues and perfects his work in us." 

3. There is therefore no force in the objection that 
this doctrine teaches that every converted man will be 
saved, let him live never so wicked a life. For the doc- 
trine is that a holy heart will produce a holy life, and 



824 THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL HOLD ON HIS WAY. 

that God's grace will maintain within us the love of 
holiness, and recover us if we fall. " I will make an 
everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn 
away from them, to do them good ; but I will put my 
fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from 
me." Jer. xxxiL 40. 

Therefore let us lay fast hold of God's covenant, and 
plead with him for full salvation and final victory. 
Prayer is a necessary means of being preserved unto 
life eternal. Therefore cry : Keep me as the apple 
of thine eye ; hide me under the the shadow of thy 
wings. Keep me from the snare laid for me. Keep 
me from the hour of temptation. Hold thou me up, 
and I shall be safe. Preserve thou my soul, my God ; 
save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Make me meet 
to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in 
light. And in all the trials of life be courageous. Re- 
member who hath said, ^' I will never leave thee, nor 
forsake thee." If you are a sinner, you are not a 
greater one than he who said, " The Lord shall deliver 
me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his 
heavenly kingdom." 

Well did Jude know what he was saying, when he 
closed his epistle with that triumphant doxology : 
^' Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, 
and to present you faultless before the presence of his 
glory with exceeding joy ; to the only wise God our 
Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, 
both now and ever. Amen." 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



THE ABBREVIATION OF HUMAN LIFE. 

The New York Observer of the 6th of March, 1851, 
contained obituary notices of ten persons, the aggre- 
gate of whose ages was more than eight hundred and 
eighty-five years. The youngest of the ten was seventy- 
nine years old. The average of their ages was over 
eighty-eight years. The aggregate number of years 
attained by them, over threescore and ten^ was one 
hundred and eighty-five^ being an average of eighteen 
years and a half over the time usually allotted to man. 
Of these persons seven were males, and three females. 
The habits of all are not particularly stated, but so 
far as they are noticed, they seem to have been simple 
and temperate. 

In reflecting on such a record, one of our first 
thoughts is, How long they lived ! Both the average 
and the aggregate of their lives surprise us. Such a 
record shows that in the divine plan respecting human 
life there has been no considerable change since the 
days of Moses. The minimum of human life will pro- 
bably not be lower till the end of the world. And as 
these ten persons are confessedly rare exceptions to the 
usual course of things, we have no reason to suppose 
that the maximum of human life will hereafter be 
greater than it is at present. The increased virtue of 
mankind would no doubt considerably raise the average 
18 { 325 ) 



326 THE ABBREVIATION OF HUMAN LIFE. 

of human life, but the maximum will not materially 
vary in future ages. 

But when we compare the present with the first 
ages of the world, our thoughts take quite a different 
turn. Adam lived nine hundred and thirty^ or nearly 
forty-five years longer than all the ten, of whom no- 
tice has been taken. Seth lived nine hundred and 
twelve years, Enos nine hundred and five^ Canaan nine 
hundred and ten^ Mahaleel eight hundred and ninety- 
five, Jared nine hundred and sixty-two^ Enoch three 
hundred and sixty-five^ Methuselah nine hundred and 
sixty-nine^ Lamech seven hundred and seventy-seven^ 
and Noah nine hundred and fifty years. The aggre- 
gate of the ages of these ten men was eight thousand 
five hundred and seventy-five years. Had Enoch not 
been translated till he was as old as the youngest of 
the other nine^ the aggregate of the ages of these ten 
antediluvians would have been more than ten times as 
great as that of the ten first mentioned. Compared 
with the life of man before the flood, how short are 
our days ! If any ask the reason of this change, let 
them know that it is the sovereign will of God, who 
holds all second causes and all human affairs under 
his control. To infer from this difference in human 
life that w^e and the men before the flood belong not 
to the same race, is as illogical as to argue that a child 
dying a year old is not of the same race with its pa- 
rents, who live half a century. The whale is said to 
live a thousand years, the elephant /(9Z*r hundred^ the 
swan two hundred^ the terrapin one hundred and fifty ^ 
the eagle one hundred^ and the ass eighty. But hu- 
man life is still shorter. Man has more enemies, 
dangers stand thicker around him. Seventy years 
only arc appointed to him. 



THE ABBREVIATION OF HUMAN LIFE. 327 

Let us not repine at this state of things. As this 
world ever since the fall of Adam has been under the 
mediatorial government of Jesus Christ, whatever has 
been done to the race has been merciful. The abbre- 
viation of human life was unquestionably a kindness to 
the world. When men lived nearly a thousand years, 
human wickedness became intolerable. Except when 
renewed by God's grace, human nature is the same in 
all ages ; and if the wicked lived nine hundred years, 
earth would again be like hell. Even now we find 
blasphemers and murderers in their 'teens. Men are 
often deeply practised in crime, and fearfully hardened 
in atheism before they have lived out half their days. 
Men have committed more murders than they were 
years old. If men should live as long as the patri- 
archs before the flood, and wickedness should grow, as 
it now does, personal hostilities would be dreadful, and 
family feuds and national quarrels would find no ter- 
mination. How could the world endure for seven or 
eight centuries the tread of a Claverhouse, a Jeffreys, 
a Duke of Alva, an Alaric, a Nero, or an Alexander ? 
In one century the scholars of vice would acquire such 
proficiency as to make their names terrible. Though 
life is short, it is long enough to answer all the highest 
ends of existence. All adult persons have more time 
than they profitably employ. Those, who waste their 
lives in vanity and wickedness, have no right to com- 
plain of the brevity of their existence. From him, 
who misuses what is given him, may justly be withheld 
all further bounties. And the righteous "would not 
live alway.'' They seek a better country, even a hea- 
venly. They have a desire to depart and be with 
Christ, which is far better than any earthly inheritance. 



§28 THE ABBREVIATION OF HUMAN LIFE. 

God often takes first those whom he loves best. Abel 
left the world, it is thought, at the age of one hundred 
and tioenty years^ while his fratricidal brother lived 
through centuries of guilt and remorse. Enoch seems 
to have been the most pious of the ten mentioned in 
Genesis v., yet he did not remain on earth half so long 
as the shortest lived of the other nine. " Were the 
world less miserable, it would be no loss to die and go 
to heaven ; nor can it ever be gain to live and treasure 
up wrath by sin.'' 

Still unless we can lay hold on the higher truths of 
religion, it is painful to dwell on the brevity of our 
earthly existence. Of all persons born into the world, 
one-third do not live two years, and one half do not 
see seven years. Of the residue, more than half die 
before they are forty-five years old. But here and 
there one lives to be old. The habitable earth and the 
sea also have become vast grave-yards. 

If life be so short let us defer no duty. Let there 
be a time for everything, and everything in its time. 
In Christian countries most men fail by wicked delays. 
Around that rock lie the bleached bones of myriads, 
who intended to live to God, but never did. Inch by 
inch their lives were stolen from them, and at the end 
all they could say was, " The harvest is past, the sum- 
mer is ended, and we are not saved." A disposition 
to put off preparation for death would be greatly 
strengthened by a knowledge that we had centuries 
before us. From Gen. v. 12, 22, some infer that 
Enoch was not truly pious, or at least not eminently 
so till he was sixty-five years old. However this may 
be we all know the strong propensity in men to say, 
" There is time enough yet." Beware of this danger- 



THE ABBREVIATION OF HUMAN LIFE. 329 

ous practice. The next hour may usher any one of us 
into eternity. 

Nor is an early death an evil to him who is pre- 
pared. He thereby escapes much suffering. He is 
taken away from the evil to come. Tacitus, in his life 
of Agricola, seems pleased that he did not live to 
see the Senate intimidated by soldiers, courts of law 
shut up, and rapine and slaughter prevalent. " 
Agricola, thou art happy, not only by the excellence 
of thy life, but by thy opportune death!" Agricola 
died at the age of fifty-six years. If a heathen could 
comfort himself for the death of so honoured a father- 
in-law by such a consideration, how much more may 
we be cheered by knowing that our departed pious 
friends no more see, or hear, or feel those things, which 
were they alive, must vex their righteous souls from 
day to day. Let us not be over anxious for long life. 
The failure of hope, the decline of usefulness, the 
neglect of juniors, the memory of past joys, the pre- 
sence of many pains and infirmities burden nearly all 
the very aged. Their senses are blunted, their 
strength is not firm, their fears have the ascendency, 
the almond-tree flourishes, the grasshopper is a bur- 
den, and desire fails. 

Our advancing years bring increased responsibility. 
He, who has lived thirty-five years has had five full 
years of Sabbaths. He, who is seventy years old, 
has had ten solid years of holy time. Frequent in- 
terviews with distressed souls and dying people have 
painfully impressed the writer's mind that there are two 
sins which have a fearful burden and sting in them. 
The first is the slighting of gospel grace and mercy. 
The other is the neglect or abuse of holy time. Most 
28^ 



330 THE ABBREVIATION OF HUMAN LIFE. 

dying sinners seem to desire longer time only that they 
may spend it as they should have done their holy 
Sabbaths. 

Let us not waste our time in idle regrets on the 
shortness of life, but let us work while it is day." 
" The night cometh when no man can work.'' "It 
is good to be zealousty affected always in a good thing.'' 
Let us do even a little at a time. Despise not the day 
of small things. " It is not great talents God blesses, 
so much as great likeness to Jesus." Holiness is a 
greater means of usefulness than extraordinary natural 
gifts, or vast learning. " A heated iron, though blunt, 
will pierce its way even where a much sharper instru- 
ment, if it be cold, cannot penetrate." One of the 
best models of zeal among fallible men is found in Ne- 
hemiah. A perfect pattern was Jesus Christ. The 
zeal of God's house consumed him. 

Live and labour to be not only real but eminent 
Christians. Let us not sleep as do others. Heaven 
or hell will soon receive all that now live. Let your 
standard be the word of God and the example of 
Christ. Forget past attainments, and reach after 
greater things. Live as seeing Him, who is invisible. 
Never count that you have attained till you have got 
your crown. " He, who is contented with just enough 
grace to escape hell and get to heaven, and desires no 
more, may be sure he has none at all, and is far from 
the kingdom of God." Be not conformed to this 
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your 
mind. Fight the good fight of faith. 

One reason, why some have so great a dread of the 
close of life, is that it is so rarely a theme of medita- 
tion. Men, who will not think, cannot understand. 



THE ABBREVIATION OF HUMAN LIFE. 331 

Mere thoughts of dying will make no one lioly, but 
they have often led men to seek salvation. I have read 
of a man, whose conversion was traced to those words 
so often repeated in Gen. V. "And he died.'' Live as 
you may, it will soon be said of you, ^'and lie died.'' 
Are you ready for death ? 

The grace of Christ is necessary to enable us to 
live well and to die well. His death was the death of 
death, because it was the death of sin. We may con- 
fidently plead with the Saviour for all needed help. 
He can make goodness and mercy follow us when liv- 
ing; and glory and honour meet us when dying. His 
grace can moderate our love of life, and take away 
our fear of death. He can teach us that this is not 
our rest. He can make us willing to be chastened of 
the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the 
world. He can do for us exceeding abundantly above 
all we can ask or think. He is the good Shepherd. 
In him we may safely trust and for ever rejoice. If 
this life is short, Christ^s people shall the sooner be 
with him. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



THE BELIEVER S VICTORY OVER DEATH. — THE MARTYRS. 

As we can die but oncCj we should seek to die well. 
The honours which Christ and his gospel have won from 
the field of the last battle of the saints, have been vast, 
peculiar, and effective of much good. To glorify God 
in death is both a duty and a privilege. For this end 
we should labour and pray at all times. A happy death 
is a noble end of a well spent life. It crowns a con- 
sistent profession of piety with appropriate honours. 
It proves that God is still faithful. It evinces the ten- 
derness of Christ to his chosen. It soothes the bitter 
anguish of loved and loving survivors. In itself and 
for the manifold blessings which follow in its train, it 
is every way desirable. 

And yet how depressing to the spirits of many devout 
servants of God is the thought of lying down in the 
grave. That house is so narrow, so damp, and so dark, 
that they shrink from entering it. We naturally love 
and cherish our own bodies, and dread the pains of dis- 
solution. Yet believers need not be dismayed at the 
prospect of exchanging worlds. Death is indeed our 
greatest, but he is our last enemy. He is the king of 
terrors and the terror of kings ; but it is, and was, and 
ever shall be true, that 

" The chamber where the good ma.n meets his fate, 
Is privileged beyond the common walks 
Of life — quite on the verge of heaven.'^ 
(332) 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 333 

The wicked still have cause to say, " Let me die the 
death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his/' 
Inspiration still cries: ''Mark the perfect man, and 
behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." 
The timid and desponding should lay fast hold of all 
the encouragements of God's word on this whole sub- 
ject. In it we learn that " there remaineth a rest to 
the people of God." Heb. iy. 9. Jesus Christ himself 
said : ''In my Father's house are many mansions : if it 
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a 
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for 
you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, 
that where I am there ye may be also." God's word 
abounds in strong consolations on this subject. Trea- 
sure them up. " Though death is the enemy of nature, 
it is the friend of grace." ^' Death is the day-break 
of eternity." Let us not foster our natural dread of 
pain. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. . Many 
die with very little bodily suffering. When our sys- 
tems can bear no more, they will sink in death, and so 
we shall be at rest. 

Dissolution and corruption are painful subjects, but 
our blessed Lord has hallowed the tomb with his own 
sacred body. Let us follow him even into the grave. 
Besides, he has taken away the sting of death, which 
is the guilt of sin, and so has for ever disarmed that 
enemy. Let no one afflict himself with needless fears 
of coming short of eternal life, simply because the pros- 
pect of death is not always pleasant. " Even a strong 
believer may be afraid to die. We are not in general 
fond of handling a serpent, or a viper, though his sting 
is drawn and we know it to be so." It powerfully tends 
to preserve human life and to prevent acts of self- 



334 THE BELIEVER S VICTORY OVER DEATH. 

destruction, and so is a great mercy to our race, that 
men should have a natural dread of death. Nor is this 
commonly taken quite away until God is about to set 
his chosen free from the bondage of the flesh. That is 
soon enough for all the best ends of the covenant of 
grace. Many have confirmed the testimony of Dr. Gill, 
who says : " Though a believer may have his darkness, 
doubts, and fears, and many conflicts of soul, while on 
his dying bed ; yet usually these are all over and gone 
before his last moments come, and death does its office 
and work upon him. From the precious promises of 
God to be with his people, even until death ; from the 
scriptural account of dying saints ; and from the ob- 
servations I have made during the course of my life, I 
am of opinion that, generally speaking, the people of 
God die comfortably ; their spiritual enemies being 
made to be as still as a stone, while they pass through 
Jordan, or the stream of death.'' The prevailing senti- 
ment of every Christian community is, that in death 
Christ shows great grace to his elect, and fulfils the 
promise, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be." 
Every child of God may embrace this good word, and 
pray like him who said : ''Lord, I am called to work I 
never did : Oh, give me grace I never had.'' If men 
would more frequently visit the beds of dying Chris- 
tians, they would better know the amazing mercy of 
Christ to departing saints. It is truly wonderful, and 
surpasses the love of women. And here it gives me 
great pleasure in a public and solemn manner to record 
my testimony for the glory of God, and the comfort of 
all his people, who may peruse these pages. It is this: 
that the tenderness of Christ to his sick and dying 
servants is great, and that in the hour of their last 



THE BELIEVER S VICTORY OVER DEATH. 335 

trial, ho does not leave them, nor forsake them. For 
a long time I have visited, as I had opportunity, the 
isick and suflcring people of God, without regard to age, 
sex, rank, complexion, or denomination. The result is 
that I have never known one who had made so credible 
a profession of love to Christ, as to secure the general 
confidence of Christians of the vicinage, left to die an 
undesirable death. Some endured great bodily pain, 
but God was with them. Some left the world in a state 
of unconsciousness, but their last moments of ration- 
ality were cheered by blessed rays of light from heaven. 
Early in their sickness some were sorely tempted, but 
the victory came at last. Some had been subject to 
mental derangement, but they were permitted to enter 
eternity without a cloud over their reason. Yet had 
they died maniacs, the promises would not have failed. 
Some were young in years, and in Christian expe- 
rience ; but the good Shepherd gathered them like 
lambs in his arms, and carried them in his bosom. 
Some were in middle life, and left helpless children 
behind them ; but I have seen the dying mother kiss 
her little babe, and bid the world farewell with entire 
composure. The peace of God ruled her heart by 
Jesus Christ. Some were old, nervous, and, on other 
subjects, full of fancies ; but Christ, the Rock, followed 
them to Canaan. What God has done for his people 
in days past, should encourage those who live at the 
present time. God's faithfulness to the departed should 
invigorate the faith and expel the fears of the waiting. 
God's people have left the world in various ways. Some 
have died violent and ignominious deaths, and some 
have died in their beds. Some have had long notice, 
and others hardly any. Some have died old, some ia 



836 THE believer's victory over death. 

the midst of their days, and some in the morning of 
existence, yet they have commonly agreed in leaving 
an animating testimony to the power of Christ's grace 
to their departing spirits. The great advantages of 
good examples are that they express with clearness the 
duty to be done, that they show the possibility of doing 
it, and that they incite us to imitation. These advan- 
tages are fully realized in the examples of dying saints. 
The following sayings of God's people have been col- 
lected in the hope that they may encourage the faint, 
embolden the timid, confirm the strong, and animate 
all classes of real Christians. Most of them were 
uttered in a dying hour, and many of them were last 
words. Let us begin with the sayings of some of the 
martyrs. 

Stephen said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;'' and 
"Lay not this sin to their charge." 

Paul, the aged : " I am now ready to be offered, and 
the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a 
good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the 
faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown, which 
the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that 
day, and not to me only, but also to all them that love 
his appearing." 

Polycarp : " Father of thy beloved and blessed 
Son, Jesus Christ ! God of all principalities and of 
all creation ! I bless thee that thou hast counted me 
worthy of this day, and this hour, to receive my portion 
in the number of thy martyrs, in the cup of Christ." 
" He that gave me strength to come to the fire, will 
give me patience to endure the flame without your 
tying me." 

Ignatius : " I die willingly for God." " I am God's 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 337 

wheat, and shall be ground by the teeth of the wild 
beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God/* 
^' Now I begin to be a disciple." " It is better for me 
to die for Jesus Christ than to reign over the ends of 
the earth." 

Cyprian : ^'Let him fear death, who must pass from 
this to the second death." ''I thank God for freeing 
me from the prison of this body." 

Justin Martyr, with six other Christians, stood before 
the prefect, who examined each one, and then turned 
to Justin, saying, " Hear thou, who hast the character 
of an orator, and imaginest thyself in possession of 
truth. If I scourge thee from head to foot, thinkest 
thou that thou shalt go to heaven?" Justin said: 
"Although I suffer what you threaten, yet I expect to 
enjoy the portion of all Christians ; as I know that the 
divine grace and favour is laid up for all such, and shall 
be while the world endures." Rusticus asked: ^'Do 
you think that you shall go to heaven and receive a 
reward ?" ''I not only think so, but I know it, and 
have a certainty of it, which excludes all doubts," was 
the reply. Here the prefect insisted that they should 
all sacrifice to the gods. "No man," said Justin, 
"will desert true religion for the sake of error and 
impiety." Urbicus said: "Unless you comply, you 
shall be tormented without mercy." Justin replied: 
" We desire nothing more sincerely than to endure 
tortures for our Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved. 
Hence our happiness is promoted, and we shall have 
confidence before the awful tribunal of our Lord and 
Saviour, before which by divine appointment the whole 
world must appear." The others assented, and said : 
" Despatch quickly your purpose ; we are Christians, 
29 



338 THE believer's victory over death. 

and cannot sacrifice to idols/' The sentence was, that 
they should be scourged, and then beheaded. They 
heard it with joy, and bore the scourging without a 
murmur, nay with ecstacy. They were then beheaded, 
and their bodies were decently interred by their 
friends. 

John Huss : " In these flames, I offer to thee, 
Christ, this soul of mine.'' 

Jerome of Prague : " Kindle not the fire behind me, 
but before my face ; for if I had been afraid of it, I 
had not come to this place, having had so many oppor- 
tunities offered me to escape." 

When Mrs. Jane Askew was offered her life at the 
stake, if she would recant, she said: ^'I came not 
hither to deny my Lord and Master." 

Mrs. Joyce Lewis said : ^' As for death, I fear it not; 
for, when I behold the amiable countenance of Jesus 
Christ, my dear Saviour, the ugly face of death doth 
not much trouble me." 

John Nisbet, the younger : " Now, farewell all true 
friends in Christ ; farewell Christian relations ; fare- 
well sweet and holy Scriptures ; farewell prayer and 
meditation ; farewell sinning and suffering. Welcome 
heaven ; welcome innumerable company of angles, and 
the church of the first-born, and the spirits of just men 
made perfect ; welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; 
welcome praises for evermore. Now, dear Father, 
receive my spirit, for it is thine ; even so, come Lord 
Jesus." 

David Cargill: "This is the most joyful day that 
ever I saw in my pilgrimage on earth. My joy is now 
begun, which I see shall never be interrupted. I see 
both my interest and His truth, and the sureness of the 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 339 

one, and the preciousness of the other. * * I have 
been a man of great sins, but he has been a God of 
great mercies. And now, through his mercies I have 
a conscience as sound and quiet, as if I had never 
sinned. It is long since I could have adventured on 
eternity, through God's mercy and Christ's merits, and 
now death is no more to me, but to cast myself into 
my Husband's arms, and to lie down with him." 

Indeed so wonderfully has God been with the faith- 
ful martyrs in all ages, making them joyful in all their 
tribulation, that the effect has been truly astonishing. 
In the early ages it was often said, " The blood of the 
martyrs is the seed of the church.'' It is stated that 
at the close of the martyrdom of one young woman in 
Rome, five hundred persons were induced to offer them- 
selves as victims to the rage of the persecutors. Similar 
effects have been noticed in modern times. Archbishop 
Tillotson says, he thinks it a true observation, "that 
catechizing and the history of the martyrs have been 
the two main pillars of the Protestant religion." 



CHAPTER XL. 

SAME SUBJECT. — OTHER EXAMPLES, ANCIENT AND 
MODERN. 

Some have feared that if there was nothing pecu- 
liarly trying in the form of their death, they should 
not have special assistance in their last moments. But 
the history of God's people shows how kind he has 
ever been to them in the final conflict. Here are a 
few out of thousands of cases, which might be cited. 

When leaving the world Joseph said: "I die, and 
God shall surely visit you, and bring you out of this 
land." 

Joshua : " Behold, this day I am going the way of 
all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in 
all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the 
good things which the Lord your God spake concern- 
ing you." 

Simeon : '' Lord, now lettest thou thy servant de- 
part in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes 
have seen thy salvation." 

Chrysostom : " Glory be to God for all events." 

Luther thrice said : " Into thy hands I commit my 
spirit ; God of truth, thou hast redeemed me." 

Theodore Beza: "Lord, perfect that, which thou 
hast begun, that I suffer not shipwreck in the haven." 
(340) 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 341 

Thomas Holland : " Come, come, Lord Jesus, 
thou bright Morning Star ! Come, Lord Jesus, I de- 
sire to be dissolved and to be with thee." 

Rutherford : "I have got the victory, and Christ is 
holding out both arras to embrace me/' 

Richard Baxter : " I have pains, there is no argu- 
ing against sense ; but I have peace, I have peace. * * 
Almost well. * * The Lord teach you how to die." 

Bunyan : " Weep not for me but for yourselves. I 
go to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who no 
doubt will receive me though a sinner, through the 
mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ ; where I hope we 
shall ere long meet to sing the new song, and remain 
happy for ever, in a world without end. Amen." 

John Owen : '' The long wished for day is come at 
last, in which I shall see the glory of Christ in an- 
other manner, than I ever have done, or was capable 
of doing in this world.'' 

John Flavel : '' I know that it will be well with 
me. 

Philip Henry : " make sure work for your souls, 
by getting an interest in Christ, while you are in 
health, for if I had that work to do now, what would 
become of me ? But I bless God, I am satisfied. See 
to it that your work be not undone, when your time is 
done, lest you be undone for ever." 

Matthew Henry : " This is my dying saying : A life 
spent in the service of God, and communion with him, 
is the most comfortable life any one can live in this 
world." 

John Janeway : " Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." 

Richard Hooker : " I am at peace with all men, and 
God is at peace with me j from which blessed assur- 
29^ 



342 THE believer's victory over death. 

ance I feel that inward joy, which the world can nei- 
ther give nor take away.'' 

Col. J. Blackader : " the kindness and compassion 
of God, who knows our frame, that we are dust, and 
has no pleasure in afflicting his poor creatures. 
may this [illness] be a rod to chase me to Christ ; and 
the fruit of all to purge away sin." 

Alexander Henderson: ''I am near the end of my 
race, hasting home, and there was never a school- 
boy more desirous to have the play, than I am to have 
leave of this world." 

Bishop Hall: ''If I die, the world will miss me but 
little, because it has plenty of better men ; and I shall 
not miss it, because it has so much evil, and I shall 
have so much happiness." 

Halyburton : " Though my body be sufficiently af- 
flicted, yet my spirit is untouched. * * Free grace, 
free grace ; not unto me." 

Rev. Thomas Cartwright : " I have found unuttera- 
ble comfort and happiness, and God has given me a 
glimpse of heaven. * "^ I have fought the good fight, 
I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Hence- 
forth there is laid up for me a crown which the Lord, 
the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day.^' 

Hervey : " How thankful I am for death ! It is the 
passage through which I get to the Lord and giver of 
eternal live. These light afflictions are but for a mo- 
ment, and then comes an eternal weight of glory. 
welcome, welcome death ! Thou mayest well be reck- 
oned among the treasures of the Christian. To live 
is Christ, to die is gain." 

Robert Bruce : " Now God be with you, my children ; 
I have breakfasted with you, and shall sup with my 
Lord Jesus Christ this night." 



THE BELIEVER S VICTORY OVER DEATH. 343 

John Locke often exclaimed : " tlie depth of the 
riches of the goodness and knowledge of God. * * I 
have lived long enough, and am thankful that I have 
enjoyed a happy life, but after all look upon this life 
as nothing better than vanity." 

Bishop Burgess : " There must be something to 
bring every one to his journey's end. The days of 
our years are threescore years and ten ; after which 
it is labour and sorrow. Why should I be taking so 
much care and pains, just as if I wished to live for 
ever, when, as you know (addressing a friend) I do not 
wish to live any longer than it pleases God.'' His 
last words were, " We have peace with God : and if 
we have peace with God, we have peace with all the 
world. Is it not so?" 

Grimshaw : ^' I shall have my greatest grief and my 
greatest joy when I die — my greatest grief that I 
have done so little for Christ : my greatest joy that 
Christ has done so much for me.'^ 

Rev. James Harrington Evans : '' In Jesus I stand : 
Jesus is a panacea. * * Beware of antinomianism. 
All that religion is a fallacy." 

Toplady : " 1 believe God never gave such manifes- 
tations of his love to any creature, and suffered him 
to live." 

Gilbert Tennent : " My assurance of salvation is 
built on the Scriptures, and is more sure than the sun 
and moon." 

John Tennent : " Farewell my brethren, farewell 
father and mother, farewell world with all thy vain 
delights. Welcome God and Father — welcome sweet 
Lord Jesus ! Welcome death — welcome eternity. 
Amen. Lord JesuS; come, Lord Jesus." 



344 THE believer's victory over death. 

William Tennent : " Blessed be God, I have no wish 
to live, if it should be his will and pleasure to call me 
hence, unless it should be to see a happy issue to the 
severe and arduous controversy my country is engaged 
in; but even in this the will of the Lord be done." 

Rev. Samuel Blair : " The Bridegroom is come, and 
we shall now have all things. My very soul thirsts 
for eternal rest.*' 

Rev. Samuel Finley : " I see the eternal love and 
goodness of God. I see the love of Jesus. Oh to be 
dissolved, and to be with him ! I long to be clothed 
with the complete righteousness of Christ." 

Rev. Dr. Waddell : " Lord Jesus, receive my 
spirit." 

John Newton : " More light, more love, more liberty. 
Hereafter I hope, when I shut my eyes on the things 
of time, to open them in a better world. What a thing 
it is to live under the shadow of the wings of the 
Almighty ! I am going the way of all flesh. If the 
Lord were not gracious, how could I dare to stand be- 
fore him?" 

Rev. Henry Erskine said to his family : " I know 
that I am going to heaven, and if you follow my foot- 
steps, you and I shall have a happy meeting there, ere 
long." 

Rev. Ebenezer Erskine : " Though I die, the Lord 
liveth. I have known more of God since I came to 
this bed, than through all my life." 

Ralph Erskine's last words were : " Victory, victory, 
victory !" 

John Wesley : " The best of all is, God is with us." 

Fletcher of Madely : '' Head of the Church, be 

Head of my wife." To his physician, not a professed 



THE BELIEVER^S VICTORY OVER DEATH. 345 

Christian, he said, '' sir, you take much thought for 
my body, permit me to take thought for your soul." 
Gilpin says : " While he possessed the power of speech, 
he spoke as one whose lips had been touched with a 
live coal from the altar,'' 

Augustus Herman Franke : "I praise thee, dear 
Lord Jesus, for having washed me from all my sins, and 
made me a king and a priest in the presence of thy 
Father, and for having forgiven me the multitude of 
my sins. Blessed and praised be thou for having 
guided me during my whole life w^ith maternal kindness, 
and for having spared me, according to thy great con- 
descension, from much suffering. forgive me, thou 
Saviour of my heart, if in this my painful disease, 
my human will, through weakness, has not been able 
to resign itself so joyfully to thy divine wdll as it 
ought ; and govern me by thy Holy Spirit, and let thy 
divine power assist me to the end ! I know that 
thou art faithful and true ! thou wilt never leave nor 
forsake me.'' His last words in reply to his wife, who 
asked whether his Saviour was near him, were, '' Of 
that there is no doubt." 

Dr. Thomas Scott, the commentator: ^'Christ is 
my all. He is my hope. to realize the fulness of 
joy ! to have done with temptation ! This is hea- 
ven begun ! I have done with darkness for ever. 
Satan is vanquished. Nothing remains but salvation 
with eternal glory." 

Dr. Heugh : '' There are many testimonies in the 
gospel, but the outline of them all is just this. Whoso- 
ever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have ever- 
lasting life. This is the whole gospel. It's a terrible 
thing to overlook the gospel by stinting it. It's a 



346 THE believer's victory over death. 

terrible thing to stint the gospel. Men should neither 
be dividers, nor contractors of the gospel." 

Andrew Fuller : '' If I am saved, it will be by great 
and sovereign grace, by great and sovereign grace. 
My mind is calm — no rapture, no despondency. 3Iy Jiope 
is such that I am not afraid to plunge into eternity,'' 

Rev. Dr. Richard Winter Hamilton : " It is my 
earnest desire that from this death-bed an impressiou 
may go forth, that may tell on those who lack the one 
thing needful.'' 

Rev. George Burder's last prayer was for divine 
protection and spiritual blessings, closing with a peti- 
tion that " our poor^ poor^ poor prayers might be ac- 
cepted through the blessed Redeemer." 

Legh Richmond : " It is only by coming to Christ 
as a little child, and as for the first time, that I can 
get peace." 

Samuel Drew : " You may say with the greatest con- 
fidence that I am looking forward to a better country. 
Thank God, to-morrow I shall join the glorious com- 
pany above." Again, " I trust I shall to-day be with 
the Lord Jesus." 

Rev. Robert Housman : " Here I am, and here I 
shall remain, until it please the Lord to take me to him- 
self ; and then I shall sing of mercy and of judgment. 
Yea, unto thee, Lord, will I sing for ever and ever." 

John Frederic Oberlin: "Lord Jesus, take me 
speedily; nevertheless, thy will be done." 

Felix Neff : " Adieu, adieu. I am departing to our 
Father in perfect peace. Victory, victory, victory ! 
by Jesus Christ!" 

Dr. Bogue : " I am looking to that compassionate 
Saviour, whose blood cleanseth from all sin." 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 347 

Jeremiah Evarts : " We cannot understand — we can- 
not comprehend — wonderful glory ! I will praise, I 
will praise him ! Jesus reigns." 

Summerfield : " Administer nothing, that will create 
a stupor, not even so much as a little porter and water, 
as I wish to be perfectly/ collected^ so that I may have 
an unclouded view.'' 

Dr. Payson : " Peace, peace ; victory, victory." '' I 
am going, but God will surely be with you." His last 
words were, " Faith and patience hold out." 

Edward Bickersteth: ^'I have been thinking much 
of the precious promise, ' Let not your heart be trou- 
bled ; ye believe in God, believe also in me.' " 

Rev. Dr. Cornelius: "Elias Cornelius a spectacle 
to God, to angels, and to men ! The Lord reigns, let 
the earth rejoice." 

Robert Hall : " It is death — it is death — death ! 
the sufferings of this body." Mrs. Hall said, "But 
are you comfortable in your mind ?" He promptly 
replied, "Very comfortable — very comfortable," and 
soon added, " Come, Lord Jesus, come" — and when 
his daughter added the word " quickly," he gave her a 
look expressive of the most complacent delight. 

Dr. Kevins: "Death — Death — now come. Lord 
Jesus — Bear Saviour.'' 

John Heckewelder, during his last night on earth, 
repeated those favourite words : 

*' The Saviour's blood and righteousness 
My beauty is and glorious dress ; 
Thus well arrayed, I need not fear 
When in his presence I appear.'^ 

His last words were, " Golgotha, Gethsemane." 
Wm. S. Graham : " I have passed through horrible 



348 THE believer's victory over death. 

darkness, but it is past. Jesus will take me safely 
through the rest. My Saviour has conquered, my 
blessed, blessed Saviour ! He can hold me up." 

To Dr. Waugh one said, '' You are now in the deep 
Jordan ; have you any doubt that Christ will be with 
you ?" He replied, " Certainly not ! Who else ? 
Who else?" 

Rev. W. H. Hewitson : " The Lord has never for- 
saken me, and he never will — never. It is the best, 
the kindest, the most fatherly way. Faith receives it 
now; sight shall soon behold it." 

Rev. Dr. John Stanford's last words, written about 
six hours before his death, were : " Composed in mind 
and meditation — looking to the mercy of the Lord 
Jesus." 

Rev. Dr. Richard Furman : " if such sinners as 
you and I ever get to heaven, redeeming grace shall be 
greatly magnified in our salvation." " I am a dying 
man, but my trust is in the Redeemer. I preach Christ 
to you dying, as I have attempted to do while living. 
I commend Christ and his salvation to you." 

Rev. D. H. Gillette : " that I had strength to shout. 
I feel so happy; I hope soon to be able." ''0 the 
precious Saviour ; what is the world to me, with all 
its vanity ? Give me Jesus." " Do not weep for me, 
I am going home." 

Rev. Dr. Alexander Proudfit: ^'Wlien will this 
lingering conflict end ? Oh for a speedy and easy trans- 
ition ! Oh for deliverance from this corruptible body 
— this body of sin and death ! Come, blessed Jesus, 
dear Saviour, come ! come ! I long to depart." His 
last words were that Jesus was present with him, and 
that he was not afraid to die. 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 349 

James Brainerd Taylor : " Strive ! Strive — to enter 
into the kingdom of heaven.'' 

Rev. Dr. John II. Rice: ''Mercy is triumphant." 

Dr. Nettleton : " It is meet to trust in the Lord." 

Bishop White of Pa., when dying, " fully expressed, 
with greater warmth and animation than it was be- 
lieved his weakness would have allowed, and than was 
usual with him, his reliance upon the merits of the 
Redeemer alone for acceptance ; and the comfort, the 
' charming' gratification, of being enabled to trust in 
the divine goodness, and to realize the protecting care 
of God in life and in death." 

Dr. Ashbel Green left the w^orld, "blessing God for 
the comforts, which the gospel had imparted to him, 
and the ineffably glorious hopes it had inspired of sin- 
less perfection beyond the grave." 

Rev. Charles Simeon : " It is said, death, where 
is thy sting? Do you see anything here ?" "Does 
not this prove that my principles were not founded on 
fancies or enthusiasm, but that there is a reality in 
them? and I find them sufiicient to support me in 
death." 

Rev. Robert Anderson: "Peace! peace! How 
gracious God is in so making it all peace ! I may say, 
with Lord Gambler, that although pain may distract 
my body, yet it cannot disturb my spirit." Turning 
to his wife he said, " Now is the time to claim God's 
promises. Never be afraid." 

Bishop Moore of Va. : " I trust all things are ar- 
ranged with me for both worlds." "I have nothing 
more to communicate but love for my dear children." 

Dr. Thomas Arnold : " Thank God for giving me 
this pain : I have suffered so little pain in my life, that 
30 



350 THE believer's victory over death. 

I feel it is very good for me : now God has given it to 
me, and I do so thank him for it." ''How thankful 
I am that my head is untouched/' 

Elisha Macurdy : " The Saviour is all my comfort." 
His last words were — " The water of life." 

Thomas Cranfield : ''A few more sighs, and then" — 

Wilberforce Richmond : " The rest, which Christ 
gives, is sweet." 

Dr. Bedell's last words were : " I thought I should 
have been at home before now." Then pointing to 
heaven he said, " There." 



CHAPTER XLL 



SAME SUBJECT — FEMALES — MISSIONARIES. 

In these holy triumphs over death Christian females 
have been large sharers. Christ is gracious to the 
weaker vessels of mercy, no less than to the strong. 
Mrs. Savage, the sister of Matthew Henry, said : " I 
here leave the testimony of my experience that Christ's 
yoke is easy and his burden light." 

Mrs. Hulton : " It is an awful thing for the best 
saint, who has his accounts most ready, to stand before 
the Judge of heaven and earth to hear his final doom. 
* * Here is nothing but confusion and emptiness, but 
it will not be so long." 

Mrs. Isabella Graham: "I have no more doubt of 
going to my Saviour, than if I were already in his 
arms. My guilt is all transferred. He has cancelled 
all my debt ; yet I would weep for my sins against so 
good a God. It seems to me there must be weeping 
even in heaven." 

Mrs. Susan Huntington : " Glorious covenant ! pre- 
cious promises ! I have given myself, soul and body, 
to Him, in whom they are yea and amen, and I do not 
fear. I desire him to do with me as shall please him." 

Caroline Fry : " This is my bridal-day, the begin- 
ning of my life. if this is dying, what a mercy ! 
I have written a book to testify that God is Love. I 

(351) 



352 THE believer's victory over death. ' 

now testify that he is Faithfulness and Truth. I 
never asked a petition of God that sooner or later I 
did not obtain." 

Mrs. Elizabeth Fry : " my dear Lord, keep and 
help thy servant." " This is a strife, but I am safe." 

Sarah Martin of Yarmouth, the prisoner's friend, 
and a spirit kindred to Mrs. E. Fry said : ''He never 
hides his face. It is our sins, which form the cloud 
between us and him. He is all love, all light ; with 
him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. My 
precious Saviour, my Beloved is always nigh. I can 
testify of his tender, supporting love. I have in health 
spoken of it to others, but till now I have never even 
experienced half its fulness." 

Mrs. Hannah More : ^' Jesus is all in all. God of 
grace, God of light, God of love : whom have I in 
heaven but thee ? It pleases God to afflict me not for 
his pleasure, but to do me good, to make me humble 
and thankful." ^' It is a glorious thing to die." Her 
last word was, '' Joy !" 

Mrs. Hawkes : " And now I cast self-righteousness 
all away — I cast myself on him. Take me as I am ; 
make me as thou art ; and if it may please thee, give 
me strength to endure." 

Lady Colquhoun : " I hope to meet you all at the 
right hand of God." 

Hannah Lindley Murray : '' Glory to God on high, 
and on earth peace and good will to men ! may thy 
name be glorified on the earth, Lord God Almighty !" 

Maria Fox: "I am thoroughly comfortable." "I 
know my Saviour loves me, and I am reposing in his 
love." 

Miss Isabella Campbell : " bear in mind that our 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 353 

Beparation will be but short. Live unto God. Fare- 
well." 

Mrs. Margaret Breckinridge : " My hope is in the 
great Physician.'' 

Mrs. RumpfF: "Now, Lord, give deliverance." 

One asked Mary Lundie Duncan, " What is your 
hope?" Her prompt reply was, " The Cross." 

To Mary Lyon, dying, her pastor said, " Christ pre- 
cious." She raised both hands, clinched them, lifted 
her head from the pillow, and said audibly and with 
emphasis, "Yes." This was her last word. 

Margaret Miller Davidson : " Mother, my own dear 
mother, do not grieve. Our parting will not be long. 
In life we were inseparable, and I feel that you cannot 
live without me. You will soon join me, and we shall 
part no more." 

A dear young wife, whose husband now (1852) stands 
on one of the towers of Zion, recently left the world 
saying : " Farewell, dear husband ! The Lord com- 
fort you, and make you very useful. It is sweet to 
die. Christ is precious." 

Another bade farewell to a dear husband and five 
children, the youngest an infant, saying, " I shall soon 
see my Saviour as he is." In short, where is the Chris- 
tian congregation, in which well authenticated tradi- 
tions of the dying triumphs of God's people of both 
sexes do not abound ? 

One of the precious fruits of foreign missions has 
been the elevation of the piety of those, who remained 
at home, by the example of faith, patience, self-denial, 
happiness and triumphs of those, who left all to make 
known God's truth and grace to perishing men. To 
such God has always been good. In their last hours 
30^ 



354 THE believer's victory over death. 

he has not left them alone. The Lord strengthened them 
upon the bed of languishing, and made all their bed 
in their sickness. The secret of the Lord was with 
them, and he showed them his covenant. A few of the 
dying words of such are here given to show how kind 
God is to his people at home and abroad, among friends 
and in the midst of strangers. 

John Eliot said : " The evening clouds are passing 
away. The Lord Jesus, whom I have served, like 
Polycarp, for eighty years, forsakes me not. come 
in glory, I have long waited for that coming ; let no 
dark cloud rest on the work of the Indians. Let it 
live when I am dead." His very last words were, 
"Welcome! Joy!'' 

Christian Frederic Swartz : " Let my last conflict, 
God, be full of peace and trust. Hitherto thou hast 
preserved me ; hitherto thou hast brought me ; benefits 
have been poured on me without ceasing. I deliver 
my spirit into thy hands — in mercy receive me ; for 
thou hast redeemed me, thou fai^thful God." His last 
words were a request that his friends would sing the 
hymn beginning, 

" Only to thee, Lord Jesus Christ.'' 

David Brainerd: "I shall soon glorify God with 
the angels." 

The last entry Henry Martyn made in his journal, 
reads thus : " I sat in the orchard, and thought with 
sweet comfort and peace of my God, in solitude my 
company, my friend and comforter." 

Pliny Fisk, eagerly looking up, said : " Christ and 
his glory." 

H. W. Fox : " I am very weak, can scarcely speak, 
but oh! happy! happy! happy!" "Jesus, Jesus 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 355 

must De first in the heart. He is first in mine, yes, 
he is." 

Rev. Thomas Thomason : " This is a dark valley, 
but there is light at the end." " Thanks be unto God 
for his unspeakable gift." " Lord Jesus, receive my 
spirit." ''Lord, give me patience." "I hope the 
Lord is coming quickly." 

Mrs. Louisa Mundy : " The prospect is to me any- 
thing but gloomy." 

Mrs. Harriet Winslow: ''How good is the Lord!" 

Rev. Wm. Carey, D. D. : "I cannot say I have any 
rapturous feelings ; but I am confident in the promises 
of the Lord, and wish to leave my eternal interests in 
his hands — to place my hands in his, as a child wouid 
in his father's, to be led where and how he pleases." 

Rev. Dr. Morrison: "We have a house not made 
with hands eternal in the heavens." 

Rev. 0. T. E. Rhenius : " We must have patience — 
patience." 

Rev. Dr. Marshman : " Can you think of anything 
I am yet to do for the kingdom of Christ?" 

Bishop Corrie : " From upwards of fifty years' ex- 
perience of the world's insufficiency to afibrd happiness, 
and of the poT\^r of sin, unless God prevent, to work 
temporal and eternal ruin, the grave begins to appear 
a refuge ; and I have a deep conviction that they only 
are completely blessed who are in heaven.'' 

Mrs. Jane Wilson : " I wish my friends to know that 
I never have regretted coming to Africa, although our 
mission among the Zoolahs has not yet seemed to 
eff'ect any good." 

Mrs. Anne Hasseltine Judson : " My husband is long 
in coming ; the new missionaries are long in coming ; 



356 THE believer's victory over death. 

I must die alone, and leave my little one ; but as 
it is the will of God, I acquiesce in his will. I am 
not afraid of death. Tell him the disease was most 
violent, and I could not write. Tell him how I suffered 
and died." 

Mrs. Sarah B. Judson : " I ever love the Lord 
Jesus Christ.'' Mrs. Sarah L. Smith: "Lord Jesus, 
receive my spirit." 

The last words in Dr. Abeel's journal are : " Death 
has no sting ! Oh may the Conqueror continue with 
me till the close, and then ! ! !" 

Mrs. Sarah E. Van Lennep's last words were : 
" Give my love, my very best love to father and mo- 
ther : tell them I have a great many things to say to 
them, but I can't now. Tell them it will be very, 
very sweet, when all the redeemed meet together in 
heaven." 

Indeed, in all the matchless dream of Bunyan, no- 
thing is more admirable than the final passage of the 
pilgrims over Jordan. We should expect the great 
and strong ones to triumph, but the most feeble were 
not left comfortless. The last words uttered by 
Ready-to-halt were, " Welcome, life." The last words 
of Feeble-mind were, " Hold out, faith and patience." 
The last words of Despondency were, " Farewell, night ! 
welcome, day !" Even his daughter Much-afraid " went 
through the river singing ; but none could understand 
what she said." The secret of all these triumphs is 
declared by Mr. Standfast, when he says: ^'I see 
myself now at the end of my journey ; my toilsome 
days are ended. I am going to see that head that 
was crowned with thorns, and that face that was spit 
upon for me. 



THE believer's VICTORY OVER DEATH. 357 

^* I have formerly lived by hearsay and faith ; but 
now I go where I shall live by sight, and shall be with 
Him, in whose company I delight myself. I have 
loved to hear my Lord spoken of; and wherever I 
have seen the print of his shoe in the earth, there have 
I coveted to set my foot too. 

" His name has been to me as a civet-box ; yea, 
sweeter than all perfumes. His voice to me has been 
most sweet, and his countenance I have more desired 
than they that have most desired the light of the sun. 
His words I did use to gather for my food, and for 
antidotes against my faintings. He has held me, and 
kept me from mine iniquities ; yea, my steps have been 
strengthened in his way.^' 

Indeed it is the plan and purpose of God, through the 
death of his Son, to " destroy him that had the power 
of death, that is, the devil ; and to deliver them, who 
through the fear of death, were all their life-time sub- 
ject to bondage." We have seen how wondrously 
this is accomplished in the last days of many. 

Some may ask. Is there no exception among be- 
lievers ? do all die such happy deaths ? To answer in 
the affirmative would perhaps be going beyond what is 
written in God's word, or experienced by his people. 
Willison tells us of an eminently godly minister, who 
was very melancholy, and said to a friend, " What 
will you say of him, who is going out of the world, and 
can find no comfort?" His friend replied, "What 
will you say of our Saviour Christ, who, when he was 
going out of the world, found no comfort, but cried 
out, ' My God, my God ! why hast thou forsaken me ?' " 
Even if the child of God should not have a cloudless 
sky, or should leave the world in darkness, a great 



358 THE believer's victory over death. 

affliction it would be, but it would not take away his 
title to eternal joy. A man's life^ not his death, 
must usually be the test of his real character, and the 
index to his future destinJ^ Besides, it is not our 
feelings, it is the merit of Christ that makes heaven 
sure to the penitent. Without any unfaithfulness, 
God in his inscrutable wisdom might permit one of 
his real friends to die in some distress of mind. If so, 
how sweet to such must be the rest and light of glory ! 
They go from the hottest of the battle to the bosom 
of God, from spiritual distress to the fruition of Christ. 
Their sun, which goes down behind a cloud, rises in 
glory without obscurity for ever. 



CHAPTER XLII. 



THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. 

Some bold errorists have asserted that the im- 
mortality of the soul was not taught until after the 
time of Moses. They do not deny the immortality of 
the soul, not they. They only assert it is a modern 
notion. Let us examine their assertion. It is freely 
admitted that we have but scant records of the earliest 
ages. The whole history of the creation and of the 
world for the first two thousand years is contained in 
less than eleven chapters in Genesis. The five books 
of Moses, by far the greater part of which relates to 
the Jews, cover a period of two thousand five hun- 
dred and fifty-three years. In so brief a narrative 
no reasonable person will expect very full statements 
on matters not akin to the leading objects of the 
writer. Incidental notices of other matters are suffi- 
cient. The sacred writers often mention things as 
taken for granted, rather than formally state them. 
The lawgiver of the Jews had higher objects before 
him than to please the antiquarian. Yet he has cast 
more light on the early history of our race and of our 
world than all other writers united. 

It is natural to inquire whether Adam knew any- 
thing about immortality. It is confessed he had an 
immortal soul. Did he know it ? It is surprising, if 
he did not. He was formed " in the image, in the 

(359) 



360 THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL, 

likeness" of God. It is agreed that he learned the 
use of language in less time than any other person 
ever did. Modern students of natural history, after 
all their researches, have not gained such knowledge 
of birds and beasts as he acquired. He gave names 
to all cattle, and to the fowls of the air, and to every 
beast of the field. Did he know so much of all God's 
■works around him, and nothing of the grand work of 
the j\.lmighty within him ? Can it be believed that he 
did not know that he had a soul ? or that his soul was 
immortal? When he saw an elephant tread on a 
worm and crush it, did he believe that he was no more 
immortal than that worm ? God put Adam under a 
special trial. He forbade him to touch one particular 
fruit under a penalty thus expressed : '' In the day 
thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," or '' dying 
thou shalt die." Did Adam understand these words? 
Even natural religion teaches that God is good and will 
not deceive or beguile ; that he will not threaten one 
penalty and inflict a heavier. To suspect him of that 
is to conceive blasphemy. That curse included the 
loss of God's favour, liability to his displeasure, to 
pain and disease ; the dissolution of the body ; the 
effacing of the moral image of God, forfeiture of com- 
munion with him, subjection to evil passions and tor- 
menting fears, and misery for ever. All these things 
do follow that transgression. To say that Adam did 
not correctly understand the curse is mere assertion 
contradicted by natural religion. If he regarded the 
curse as including eternal death, then he understood 
that the human soul is immortal. If he knew the 
doctrine of the soul's immortality, why should he not 
teach it to his children, and they to theirs? Was 



THE IMMORTALITY OF THE F^OITL. 361 

"righteous Abel" ignorant of his own immortality? 
Had he no hope beyond this life ? It requires far 
more credulity to believe this than the contrary. 

Did not Enoch, the seventh from Adam, believe 
men's souls to be immortal ? No man ever preached 
the doctrine of a future judgment more clearly than 
he. But if the soul is not immortal, but perishes with 
the body, then there can be no account given by any, 
who die before Christ's coming. Any fair statement 
of our accountability to God implies the doctrine of 
the immortality of the soul. The whole man that 
sinned, should be punished ; the whole man that obeyed, 
should be rewarded. But " Enoch w^alked with God, 
and was not, for God took him.'' He was taken soul 
and body to heaven at the age of three hundred and 
sixty-five years, which was hardly the meridian of life 
in those days. Without separation his soul and body 
were glorified. Here is immortality beyond dispute. 
If in those days there were sceptics, here God demon- 
strated to them a future state, a blissful life beyond 
the present. 

Moses forsook all the pleasures, wealth and power 
of Egypt, and w^elcomed toil, poverty and banishment. 
No man at forty years of age ever made a greater 
sacrifice. What sustained him ? " He had respect 
unto the recompense of reward." And what was that? 
any thing earthly ? a life in Midian ? There was 
nothing there comparable to the crow^n of Egypt. 
Was he ambitious of being a leader and lawgiver of 
the Jews ? It was nearly forty years, after he forsook 
the court of Pharaoh, before he was called to be the 
prophet of Israel, and when called, he was so reluc- 
tant to accept the ofiice that finally '' the anger of the 
31 



362 THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. 

Lord was kindled against him." Exod. iv. 14, Nor 
was he permitted triumphantly to enter Canaan with 
his victorious legions, but died in the w^ilderness. 
What then was the reward which led him to forego his 
splendid earthly prospects ? There is but one fair 
answer. He believed in an invisible world, in the im- 
mortality of the soul, in rewards beyond this life. 

In the New Testament it is said Judas hanged him- 
self and '^went to his own place." In all the Scrip- 
tures there is not a more striking and solemn declara- 
tion of future existence and retribution. Is there 
nothing like it in the Pentateuch ? There, speaking 
of six men, five of whom are known, and all of whom 
are believed to have been the true servants of God, it 
is said of each, that when he died he " was gathered 
unto his people." In Genesis this expression is applied 
to Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob. If there can be any 
doubt of the import of the phrase in these cases, let us 
take the remaining three, Abraham, Aaron and Moses. 
In them there is no room for doubt. The only way 
the expression, ''he was gathered unto his people^'' 
can fail to teach a future state is by supposing that it 
signifies that he "was buried with his people." This 
construction is inadmissible. "Then Abraham gave 
up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man 
and full of years ; and iv as gathered unto his jpeoi^leJ" 
Gen. XXV. 8. That he w\as not buried with his people 
we well know. His remote ancestors were buried in 
Chaldea. Terah, his father, was buried in Mesopota- 
mia. Both these countries were hundreds of miles dis- 
tant from Machpelah, in Canaan, where Abraham was 
buried. It is therefore not true that he was interred 
with his ancestors or people. Something else tlian 



THE IMMOllTALTTY OF THE SOUL. 363 

burial therefore is tauglit by the j)hrase under consid- 
eration. 

The second case cited to the purpose in hand, is 
found in Num. xx. 24. " Aaron shall he gathered 
unto his people,''' From the subsequent context we 
learn that Aaron died in Mount Hor, in the wiklerness, 
where none of his ancestors had ever been buried. 
Indeed it was far from any place, where they had re- 
sided. He was not buried with his people. 

The third case is in Deut. xxxii. 49, 50 where God 
says to Moses, " Get thee up into this mountain * * '^ 
and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be 
gathered unto thy people ; as Aaron thy brother died 
in Mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people.'' So 
Moses was not buried with his people, but in '' Mount 
Nebo, in the land of Moab, which is over against Jericho, 
and no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day." 
We are thus shut up to the belief that this phrase 
means more than burial, and that it clearly teaches 
that people exist after death, and that the congrega- 
tion of departed men receives accessions by the deaths 
of those whom they left behind. 

If any demand further evidence that the Pentateuch 
teaches a future state, and especially one of bliss, here 
it is. God said to Moses, " I am the God of Abra- 
ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Christ 
himself urged this text in proof of a future state and said 
that " God is not the God of the dead, [the extinct] 
but of the living." This argument confounded and 
silenced the infidels of his day. But our modern infi- 
dels beat the Sadducees. It is not true that the Pen- 
tateuch is silent concerning immortality. 

But some ask, does not Job himself express doubt 



364 THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. 

of the immortality of the soul ? Does he not ask, 
^' if a man die, shall he live again V Job xiv. 14. 
The context clearly shows that all Job meant to assert 
was that death in man was total, and that the power 
of death over the body of man continued so as to pre- 
vent his return to this worldly life. Here is the whole 
passage : " There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, 
that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch 
[or shoot] thereof will not cease. Though the root 
thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof 
die in the ground ; yet through the scent of water 
it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. 
But man dieth and wasteth away : yea, man giveth up 
the ghost and where is he ? As the waters fail from 
the sea, and as the flood decayeth and drieth up, so 
man lieth down and riseth not ; till the heavens be no 
more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their 
sleep. that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, 
that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be 
past ; that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and re- 
member me. If a man die, shall he live again?" 
The body of a tree may die, and it grow again, but if 
a man die, he will remain dead, ''till the heavens be 
no more.'' 

When we come to examine other parts of Scripture, 
the doctrine of the immortality of the soul shines out 
everywhere. Thus said David of his dead child, " Can 
I bring him back again ? I shall go to him, but he 
shall not return to me.'^ 2 Sam. xii. 23. So also 
when Christ says, " What is a man profited, if he 
shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?" 
the entire force of the question turns upon the reality 
of a future state of existence. 



THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. 365 

The word immortal is found but once In the Bible, 
1 Tim. i. 17, and then it is applied to God, '' the 
King eternal, immortal, invisible." The word immor- 
tality^ however, is found five times. Once it refers to 
" the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, 
and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality." 1 Tim. 
iv. 15, 16. In two cases (1 Cor. xv. 53, 54) it is 
applied to the resurrection body, " when this mortal 
shall have put on immortality." In the other cases it 
is applied to Christians, and clearly signifies not mere 
existence, but consummate glory and eternal blessedness 
in heaven. Thus when Paul (Rom. ii. 7) speaks of 
some, who " seek for glory, and honour, and immor- 
tality," he tells us they shall receive " eternal life." 
So when in 2 Tim. i. 10, he speaks of Christ as 
having ''brought life and immortality to light through 
the Gospel," he does not mean that Jesus of Nazareth 
first taught the doctrine of an undying existence be- 
yond the grave ; but that by the Gospel he has shown 
us how to escape the second death, how to prevent our 
immortality from being a curse, how to attain to un- 
fadins; and unendino; bliss in heaven. Jesus Christ 
has all the honour of a Saviour. To him is due the 
glory of making existence beyond this life a blessing 
to any of Adam's race. In all things he has the pre- 
eminence. All we have and all we hope for is through 
his grace. 
31^ 



CHAPTER XLIII. 



THE HAPPY STATE OF GOD'S PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY 
AFTER DEATH. 

The Westminster Assembly taught that " the com- 
munion in glory with Christ, ^Yhich the members of the 
invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is in 
that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and 
received into the highest heavens, where they behold 
the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full 
redemption of their bodies, which even in death con- 
tinue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in 
their beds, till at the last day they be again united to 
their souls." This statement refers to both the souls 
and the bodies of believers. First, the bodies of be- 
lievers see corruption. They return to the dust. Dis- 
solution follows the separation of the body from the 
soul. Death passes upon them as fully as upon the 
bodies of the wricked. The death of God's people is a 
reality. Secondly, death does not suspend, interrupt or 
impair the union w^iich subsists between Christ and be- 
lievers, either their souls or their bodies. As Christ is the 
Saviour of his people, at home and abroad, by day and 
by night, aAvake and asleep, so also in life and in death. 
The emphatic and beautiful language of Scripture is, 
that the bodies of the saints " sleep in Jesus." 1 Thess. 
iv. 14. Thirdly, so that there is nothing alarming or 
painful in the state of the bodies of the saints. If they 
(366) 



THE HAPPY STATE OF GOD'S PEOPLE. 367 

sleep, they do welL They enter into peace. They rest 
in their beds. Isa. Ivii. 2. Though their sleep may be 
long, it will not be too long. It is indeed profound, but 
it is sweet. It shall have an end ; for, fourthly, they 
are " waiting for the adoption, to tvit, the redemption 
of the body." Rom. viii. 23. This waiting is not irk- 
some. The rest of the body is perfect, and the waiting 
here spoken of is a joyful expectation of the soul in 
glory. It looks for a reunion, and it shall surely take 
place. But on this point see the next chapter. 

As to the souls of believers immediately after death, 
three things are asserted of them. First, they are 
made perfect in holiness. So the Scriptures assert that 
then the spirits of just men are made perfect, that we 
shall be like Christ, and the church be presented glo- 
rious, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. 
Heb. xii. 23 ; 1 John iii. 2 ; Eph. v. 27. The second 
thing said of the souls of believers at death is, that they 
are received into the highest heavens. The Jews and 
others spoke of three heavens : first, the atmospheric 
heavens, the air ; secondly, the starry heavens, where 
those bright orbs of light roll in silent grandeur, and 
shine to the glory of God ; and thirdly, the blissful 
abode of angels and redeemed men, called by Paul the 
third heavens or paradise. 1 Cor xii. 2, 4. The third 
thing said of the righteous at death is that in heaven 
they behold the face of God in light and glory. " Bles- 
sed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'' Matt. 
V. 8. " As for me, I will behold thy face in righteous- 
ness." Psa. xvii. 15. To see God is to enjoy him. The 
Divinity, not incarnate, is not perceptible by any of 
our senses or faculties. God is the King eternal, im- 
mortal, and invisible. No man hath seen God at any 



368 THE HAPPY STATE OF GOD'S PEOPLE 

time. No man can see him and live. But all the holy 
creatures above do see the face of God in the person 
of Jesus Christ. " We shall see him as he is.'' 1 John 
iii. 2. Now we see him " through a glass darkly, but 
then face to face." 1 Cor. xiii. 12. "And they shall 
see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads." 
Rev. xxii. 4. The opinion that God's people are not 
at death admitted into the highest heavens, the abode 
of angels and of the glorified person of Jesus Christ, 
has long seemed to me heathenish, both in its origin 
and in its effects on the mind. The Scriptures clearly 
reveal that the person of our Lord is in heaven. "It 
came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from 
them, and carried up into heaven.'' Luke xxiv. 51. 
After his ascension the two angels said to his disciples, 
"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing ?/jj> iJito 
heaven ? This same Jesus which is taken up from you 
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have 
seen him go into heaven,'' Acts i. 11. The heavens 
then have received " him until the times of restitution 
of all things." Acts iii. 21. Paul says our great " High- 
priest is passed into the heave7is," (Heb. iv. 14 ;) that 
he "is set on the right hand of the majesty in the 
heavens," (Heb. viii. 1;) that Christ is entered "into 
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for 
us." Heb. ix. 24. He " is gone i7ito heaven, and is o)i 
the right hand of God." 1 Pet. iii. 22. From Revela- 
tion xxii. 1, we are clearly taught that " the throne of 
God and of the Lamb" is the same. Indeed John says 
expressly that " in the midst of the throne, and of the 
four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a 
Lamb as it had been slain." Rev. v. 6. Christ's glo- 
rified person is therefore incontestably proved to be iu 



IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH. 369 

the highest heavens. Now when Stephen saw the 
heavens opened, and Jesus standing on the right hand 
of God, and cried out, " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," 
was his prayer not answered ? Who dare say it was 
not? What humble Christian of a child-like spirit 
ever doubted it ? If Christ did receive it, he but ful- 
fdlcd his promise, I will " receive you unto myself, that 
where I am, there ye may be also." John xiv. 3. If 
he took Stephen to his bosom, he but fulfilled his own 
intercessory prayer: '^ Father, I will that they also 
whom thou hast given me be with me, that they may 
behold my glory which thou hast given me." John 
xvii. 20. It was the hope of being with his exalted 
Saviour that put Paul in such doubt : "I am in a strait 
betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with 
Christ, which is far better : nevertheless to abide in 
the flesh is more needful for you." Phil. i. 23, 24. 
Paul loved the work of serving the church. Pursued 
as he pursued it, it was heaven below, though stripes 
and bonds, and imprisonments awaited him in every city. 
God was with him, testifying of his mission. Christ 
was his salvation. The Spirit was his comforter. He 
was often refreshed by the love of the saints. He 
greatly rejoiced in the conversion of sinners, and in the 
growth of Christians. He says to some, " Now we live 
if ye stand fast." Yet to depart and be with Christ 
was far better than to exercise even an apostolical 
ministry. blessed strait ! joyous perplexity! With 
Christ earth is like heaven. Without him heaven would 
be a world without a sun. There is none like him. 
There is no substitute for him. Blessed be God, we 
shall be with him. Paul's choice and strait lay between 
heaven and earth, celestial glory and earthly usefulness, 



370 TEE HAPPY STATE OF GOD'S PEOPLE 

not between earth and some other place unknown to God's 
people. In 2 Cor, v. 8, Paul saj^s, " Yf e are willing to 
be absent from the body and present with the Lord/' 
Here he clearly teaches that the soul in its absence 
from the body is present with Christ, and does not wait 
till the resurrection before it enjoys that exalted privi- 
lege. He had just before said, " We know that if our 
earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we 
have a building of God, a house not made with hands, 
eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly 
desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is 
from heaven." 2 Cor. v. 1, 2. Such language is wholly 
unmistakable. 

So also to the penitent thief, Jesus Christ said, "This 
day shalt thou be with me in paradise." We have 
already seen how Paul uses the terms, paradise and the 
third heaven, interchangeably. Even Bellarmine ad- 
mits that paradise and the third heaven are the same. 
The effort of some to make it appear that paradise is 
not the same as heaven, is as illogical as would be an 
attempt to show that hell and the lake of fire are two 
different places, whereas we know they are one and the 
same place. The Westminster Assembly having spoken 
of heaven and hell, say : " Besides these two places for 
souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture ac- 
knowledgeth none." Purgatory is an invention of a 
covetous priesthood. A paradise, different and remote 
from heaven, is a figment of dreamers, some of whom 
have written well on other subjects, but on this matter 
they have gotten their views rather from heathen poets 
than from inspired prophets and apostles. Dying be- 
lievers often have no more doubt that they are going 
Straightway into the blissful presence of Christ than 



IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH. 371 

they have of his existence. There is no " phice of safe- 
keeping" for the souls of the saints but the bosom of 
God, the highest heavens. 

In that blissful world, where Christ is, are the glo- 
rified bodies of Enoch and of Elijah, Heb. xi. 5, and 
2 Kings ii. 11. Some also suppose that the saints, who 
arose after Christ's resurrection, and appeared to many 
in Jerusalem, did not return to their graves, but formed 
a part of his glorious retinue, as he returned to the 
bright mansions on high. There too are the spirits 
of just men made perfect. Lazarus was ''afar off" 
from the rich man in hell. The former was in Abra- 
ham's bosom. The latter had his abode in what he 
called "this place of torment." The whole parable 
shows that these states were fixed, perpetual, un- 
changeable. * 

When we open God's word we are delighted with 
the abundance of promises of rest and bliss, all made 
in such a way as to create the hope of heavenly glory 
as soon as we, if believers, shall leave the world. Christ 
says to his persecuted disciples, " Rejoice and be ex- 
ceeding glad ; for great is your reward in heaven,'" 
Matt. V. 12. "Lay up for yourselves treasures in 
heaven,'' &c. Matt. vi. 20. '' Whosoever shall confess 
me before men, him will I confess also before my Father 
which is in heaven,'' Matt. x. 32. " If thou wilt be per- 
fect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor ; 
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven," Matt. xix. 21. 
Paul speaks to the Colossians of the ''hope w^hich is 
laid up for you in heaven." Coloss. i. 5. To the He- 
brews he says, " Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your 
goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a 
better and an enduring substance." Heb. x. 34. So 



372 THE HAPPY STATE OF GOD'S PEOPLE 

he says tliat the suffering people of God " desire a 
better country, that is, a heavenly,'' Heb. xi. 16. So 
Peter says that his brethren had been begotten '^ to an 
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth 
not away, reserved in heaven for you." 1 Pet. i. 4. 
If these things were not so, how could the inspired 
preacher have "praised the dead w^hich are already 
dead, more than the living, which are yet alive?" 
Ecc. iv. 2. No wise man could do that, unless he be- 
lieved they were in heaven, w^iich alone, according 
to Paul, is better than usefulness in the church on 
earth. 

These views, drawn from God's word, have been 
very generally entertained by the Church of Christ in 
all ages. It is true some of the Fathers uttered very 
crude opinions on some things connected with this sub- 
ject. Yet at times they speak very clearly. Take the 
following examples out of many. Tertullian says : 
" Hell is one thing, and Abraham's bosom another, as 
I suppose ; neither is it to be believed that the bosom 
of Abraham, which is the habitation of a sacred kind 
of rest, w^as any part of hell" [infer or um~\, " Neither 
could the rich man have lifted up his eyes, and that 
afar off, unless it had been unto places above him, and 
very far above him, by reason of the mighty distance 
between that height and that depth." 

Ambrose : " Come into the bosom of Jacob ; that, 
as poor Lazarus died in the bosom of Abraham, so thou 
also mayest rest in the tranquillity of the patriarch 
Jacob. For the bosom of the patriarch is a certain 
abode [recessus] of everlasting rest." "We shall go 
where holy Abraham openeth his bosom to receive the 
poor, as he did receive Lazarus; in which bosom they 



IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH. 373 

do rest, wlio in this world have endured grievous nnd 
sharp things." ''Into paradise is an ascent, into hell 
a descent. Let them descend, saith he, quick into hell. 
And therefore poor Lazarus was by the angels lifted 
up into Abraham's bosom." "Behold that poor man 
abounding with all good things ; whom the blessed rest 
of the holy patriarch did compass about." "Lazarus 
lying in Abraham's bosom enjoyed everlasting life." 

Chrysostom : " Lazarus, who was worthy of heaven, 
and the kingdom that is there, being full of sores, was 
exposed to the tongues of dogs, and strove with per- 
petual hunger." "After famine, and sores, and lying 
in the porch, he enjoyed that refreshing which cannot 
be expressed by speech, even unspeakable good things." 

Augustine : " I have not hitherto found, and I do 
yet inquire ; neither do I remember that the canonical 
Scripture doth anywhere put hell in the good part. 
Now that the bosom of Abraham, and that rest, unto 
which the godly poor man was carried by the angels, 
should not be taken in the good part, I know not whether 
any good man can endure to hear ; and therefore how we 
may believe it is in hell [apud inferos^ I do not see." 
" I confess I have not yet found that it is called hell, 
where the souls of just men do rest." "How much 
more after this life may that bosom of Abraham be 
called paradise ; where now there is no temptation, 
where is so great rest after all the griefs of this life ! 
For neither is there wanting there a proper kind of light, 
and of its own kind [sui generis]^ and doubtless great ; 
which that rich man out of the torments and darkness 
of hell, even from so remote a place, where a great gulf 
was fixed in the midst, did so behold, that he might there 
take notice of the poor man whom he had formerly 
32 



374 THE HAPPY STATE OF GOB'S PEOPLE. 

despised." " The bosom of Abraham is the rest of the 
blessed poor, whose is the kingdom of heaven, in which 
after this life they are received." 

Origen : " Thither will I go, where are the taber- 
nacles of the righteous, where are the glories of the 
saints, where is the rest of the faithful, where is the 
consolation of the godly, where is the inheritance of the 
merciful, where is the bliss of the undefiled, where are 
the joys and consolation of such as love the truth. 
Thither will I go, where are light and life, where are 
glory and mirth, where are joy and exultation ; whence 
grief and heaviness and groaning fly away, where they 
forget the former tribulations that they bare in the 
body upon earth. Thither will I go, where there is a 
putting off of tribulations, where there is a recompense 
of labours, where is the bosom of Abraham, where is 
the propriety of Isaac, where is the familiarity of Israel ; 
where are the souls of the saints, the choir of angels, 
the voices of archangels, the illumination of the Holy 
Ghost, the kingdom of Christ, the endless glory and 
blessed presence [conspectus] of the eternal God the 
Father." 

The happy conclusion at which we arrive, is that of 
the Westminster Assembly : " The souls of believers 
are, at their death, made perfect in holiness, and do 
immediately pass into glory;" or as the Church of 
Ireland expresses it: "After this life is ended, the 
souls of God's children will be presently received into 
heaven, there to enjoy unspeakable comforts." 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE. 

The doctrine of the resurrection has always been 
offensive to the carnal mind. Infidels and ungodly 
men seem to manifest peculiar virulence . against it. 
The cause of error on this subject is the same as in 
our Saviour's day. He said to the Sadducees, who 
denied it, " ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, 
nor the power of God.'' The Scriptures teach the 
doctrine. The power of God is unlimited. " Why 
should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that 
God should raise the dead ?" The history of the faith 
of God's people on this subject is briefly this. With- 
out repeating what was said of Enoch in a former chap- 
ter, it may be stated that eighteen hundred and seven- 
ty-tivo years before Christ Abraham offered up Isaac. 
In Hebrews xi. 19, Paul says that the patriarch 
" accounted that God was able to raise him up, even 
from the dead, from whence also he received him in 
a figure." Abraham then believed this doctrine rea- 
sonable, and in offering up Isaac was sustained by it. 

Job is thought to have lived about sixteen hundred 
^TLdi fifty years before Christ. His belief of this doc- 
trine has never been disproved, though his statement 
on the subject has been much carped at and criticised. 
Yet it remains and shall ever remain firm and clear : 
" I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall 

(375) 



376 THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE. 

stand at the latter day upon the earth ; and though 
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh 
shall I see God ; whom I shall see for myself, and 
mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my 
reins be consumed within me/' Job xix. 20 — 27. 
All human ingenuity is inadequate to the destruction 
•of the glorious hopes here expressed. Fair and sober 
criticism rather strengthens than impairs the force of 
our translation. 

About a hundred and one years later, and in his 
last sermon to the Israelites, Moses brings in God as 
sajnng : '^ I kill, and I make alive.'' Deut. xxxii. 39. 
For many centuries together Jewish writers held that 
this passage taught the doctrine of the resurrection. 
There is nothing forced in this construction. What is 
it to make alive, but to raise from the dead ? 

About three hundred and ninety years later, David 
foretold the resurrection of Christ, saying, " Thou 
wilt not suffer thy holy One to see corruption." Psa. 
xvi. 10. We have an inspired exposition of this pas- 
sage given by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. 
Acts ii. 27 — 32. We do therefore know that more 
than eleven hundred years before the Christian era, 
the resurrection of Christ was predicted. 

Still later we find Ezekiel borrowing his splendid 
imagery from this doctrine, and crying out, " Can 
these bones live ?" We also find Daniel plainly de- 
claring it : " Many of them that sleep in the dust of 
the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and 
some to shame and everlasting contempt." Dan. 
xii. 2. 

After the close of the canon of the Old Testament, 
we find the same doctrine held by the pious Jews, who 



THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE. 377 

suffered persecution under Antiochus. Hear some of 
the words of those seven brethren, whose fame as 
martyrs will probably last till time shall be no longer. 
One of them, just about to die, boldly says to the 
tyrant: ^' Thou, like a fury, takest us out of this 
present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, 
who have suffered for his laws, unto everlasting life.'* 
Another, stretching out his hands said : " These I had 
from heaven, and for His love I despise them, and from 
Him I hope to receive them again/' Another in the 
awful hour of his sufferings said : " It is good, being put 
to death by men, to look for hope from God, to be 
raised up again by him.'' 

That all the Jews, except those loose infidels, the Sad- 
ducees, believed this doctrine, none can doubt. When 
Christ said to the weeping Martha, " Thy brother 
shall rise again,'^ she replied, ''I know that he shall 
rise again at the last day." So Paul said, "I have 
hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, 
that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of 
the just and of the unjust." Acts xxiv. 15. In the 
13th article of a creed of fundamental doctrines 
arranged by that learned Jew, Maimonides, more 
than a thousand years after Paul's time, are these 
words : " I believe with a perfect faith, that the dead 
shall be restored to life, when it shall seem fit to God 
the Creator." This creed was in general use among 
Israelites for centuries. Indeed Pocock tells us that 
in his day the Jews generally used these w^ords at the 
graves of their friends : " Blessed be the Lord our 
God, who formed you with judgment, preserved you 
alive, delivered you up to death, who knows the num- 
ber of you all, who will raise you up again, who will 
32^. 



378 THE RESUKRECTION OF LIFE. 

restore you with judgment. Blessed art thou, Lord, 
who givest life to the dead : may the dead live, with 
my dead body may they rise again." 

That the resurrection is a doctrine of the New Tes- 
tament is very clear. Besides the texts already quo- 
ted take the following, uttered by Christ : '^ In the 
resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in mar- 
riage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Matt, 
xxii. 30. '^ When thou makest a feast, call the poor, 
the maimed, the lame, the blind ; and thou shalt be 
blessed ; for they cannot recompense thee : for thou 
shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." 
Luke xiv. 14. Again Christ speaks of ^' the children 
of the resurrection," who cannot "- die any more." In 
many other places he says as much. 

After the ascension of our Lord, his apostles con- 
tinually bring up the same subject. One ground of 
offence to many was that they '' preached through 
Jesus the resurrection from the dead." Acts iv. 2 ; 
xvii. 18, 32 ; xxiv. 21. It will not be denied that Laza- 
rus was raised from the dead. See John xi. 43, 44 ; nor 
that several persons arose from the dead about the time 
of the resurrection of our Saviour. Matt, xxvii. 52, 53. 
That the resurrection of Christ was true all the apostles 
were witnesses. Acts i. 22. Indeed no man could be 
an apostle unless he had seen the Lord after his resur- 
rection. Paul has summed up the whole doctrine in 
1 Cor. XV. 12—23, and 35—49. ''Now if Christ be 
preached that he rose from the dead, how say some 
among you that there is no resurrection of the dead ? 
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is 
Christ not risen : and if Christ be not risen, then is 
our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, 



THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE. 379 

and we arc found false witnesses of God ; because we 
have testified of God that he raised up Christ ; whom 
he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For 
if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised : and if 
Christ be not raised, your faith is vain ; ye are yet in 
your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in 
Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope 
in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now 
is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first- 
fruits of them that slept. For since by man came 
death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be 
made alive. But every man in his own order ; Christ 
the first-fruits ; afterward they that are Christ's at his 
coming. * * But some man will say, How are 
the dead raised up ? and with what body do they come ? 
Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened 
except it die : and that which thou sowest, thou sowest 
not that body that shall be, but bare grain ; it may 
chance of wheat, or of some other grain : but God 
giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every 
seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh ; 
but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of 
beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There 
are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial ; but 
the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the 
terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, 
and another glory of the moon and another glory of 
the stars ; for one star difl'ereth from another star in 
glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is 
sown in corruption^ it is raised in incorruption : it 
is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory: it is 
sown in weakness, it is raised in power : it is sown a 



380 THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE. 

natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a 
natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so 
it is written, the first man Adam was made a liv- 
ing soul, the last Adam was made a quickening 
spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spirit- 
ual, but that which is natural, and afterward that 
which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, 
earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. 
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy ; 
and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are 
heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the 
earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." 
From this passage it is clear, 1. That the doctrine of 
the resurrection is fundamental. Without it preach- 
ing is idle and faith is vain. vs. 14, 17. 2. That 
the resurrection of Christ and that of his people are 
so connected that he who denies one subverts the 
other, vs. 12, 13. 3. That this doctrine is very con- 
solatory to the suffering people of God, and nothing 
can compensate for the want of it. v. 14. 4. That 
the work of Christ as to his people would manifestly 
be imperfect if he did not raise them up. vs. 21, 22. 
5. That hard questions concerning the resurrection 
are foolish and have not even the merit of originality. 
vs. 35, 36. 6. That nature affords us illustrations of 
many things quite as inexplicable as the resurrection 
of the dead, yet we do not deny the facts, as in the 
growth of grain, vs. 36, 37, 38. 7. That it does not at 
all impair the doctrine of the resurrection that the 
body we shall then have will be very different from 
the body we now have. vs. 39 — 41. 8. That some of 
the dead shall be raised in more glory than others, vs. 
41, 42. 9. That the rcsmTection body shall be fash- 



THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE. 381 

ioned and formed by the Holy Ghost, and so shall be a 
spiritual body. v. 44. 10. The key to the right in- 
terpretation of the whole passage is found in the fact 
that Paul is writing to Christians, and is mainly treat- 
ing of the resurrection of the just, and only incidentally 
of that of the unjust. 

The doctrine of the resurrection is incorporated into 
every summary creed of the early orthodox Christians. 
The Apostles' Creed says : " I believe in the resurrec- 
tion of the body." The Aquileian has it : ^'I believe 
in the resurrection of the flesh." That of Damascus 
says: "We believe we shall be raised with the same 
real members and flesh, in which we now live." 

The Christian fathers are no less explicit : Jerome 
says : " The Catholic faith cannot be maintained, 
unless it be maintained that a body with flesh and 
bones, blood and members, be restored." In one place 
Tertullian calls the resurrection body carnem angeli- 
jicatam — flesh made like that of angels. Elsewhere he 
says : '' The body is the soul's sister and co-heir, and 
therefore shall share with it in its estate." In remark- 
ing on the 98th Psalm, Augustine clearly announces the 
same to be his belief. Even Origen, who held some 
crude opinions on the subject, says : " As we retain 
the same body from infancy to old age, though the 
characters appear to be much changed,, so we ought to 
understand that the very same species will remain in 
the life to come, though changed very much for the 
better," Soon after he says : " The former species 
shall remain, though it be made more glorious." Again 
he says : ''Is it not absurd, that the body, which 
bears the scars of wounds received for Christ's sake, 
and which as well as the soul endured cruel torments 



382 THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE. 

in persecutions, and suffered the penalties of bonds 
and imprisonments, should be deprived of the rewards 
due to it for so great sufferings ? Does it not seem 
contrary to all reason, that the soul, which did not 
suffer alone, should be rewarded alone, and its vessel, 
the body, which served it with so great labour, should 
obtain no reward ?" 

We have seen how Jewish martyrs under Antiochus 
cleaved to this doctrine. Scarcely a Qhristian martyr- 
dom is recorded at any length, which does not show 
that this doctrine was avowed by those faithful wit- 
nesses. About the year 177 the churches of Vienne 
and Lyons wrote a letter to the churches of Asia and 
Phrygia, describing their sufferings. This letter is still 
extant in Eusebius. In it they say, that their " per- 
secutors would not suffer the bodies of the martyrs to 
be buried, but threw them to the dogs to be devoured, 
and burnt them to ashes, and then cast their ashes into 
the river ; and this they did, as if they could overcome 
God, and hinder their resurrection, through belief of 
which they despised the greatest torments." 

Yet this doctrine has always been opposed by wicked 
men. All the heathen philosophers rejected it. When 
Paul preached it at Athens, the seat of their most 
famous schools, '' some mocked." Acts xvii. 82. In 
his Natural History, Pliny numbers it among impossi- 
bilities to recall the dead. Celsus calls the doctrine 
of the resurrection abominable, and insults the people 
of God as madmen, for believing it. Tertullian says 
every sect of the philosophers denied it. And Augus- 
tine says there was nothing in the Christian religion 
so vehemently opposed by them, as the doctrine of the 
resurrection. In every age men of the same mood 



THE RESIURRECTION OF LIFE. 383 

and temper have hated it, and will do so to the end of 
time. Nevertheless, " it is a faithful saying, if we be 
dead with him, we shall also live with him." 2 Tim. 
ii. 11. By persuading men that there is no resurrec- 
tion, errorists do but " overthrow their faith." 2 Tim. 
ii. 18. The real Christian is not to be spoiled through 
philosophy and vain deceit, lie looks at this doctrine 
as a corner-stone, and knowing its truth he says with 
Paul, '' death, where is thy sting ? grave, where 
is thy victory." 1 Cor. xv. 55. 

The Scriptures do not represent the resurrection of 
the wicked as a blessing, though they speak of it as 
certain. But the resurrection of the righteous is ever 
a theme of triumph. The resurrection of the wicked 
is "to shame and everlasting contempt." It is " the 
resurrection of the unjust." It is "the resurrection 
of damnation." John v. 29. On the other hand, 
through the grace of Christ the resurrection of the 
just is "a better resurrection." It is "the resur- 
rection of life." John v. 29. It is the resurrection 
" to everlasting life." Dan. xii. 2. It is one of the 
inestimable blessings of Christ's mediation. To him 
alone is due all the glory of making a resurrection 
desirable. He said, "I am the resurrection and 
the life : he that believeth in me, though he were 
dead, yet shall he live." John v. 25. And as Jesus 
was "declared to be the Son of God with power, ac- 
cording to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection 
from the dead," Bom. i. 4 ; so "if we have been 
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall 
be also in the likeness of his resurrection." Bom. vi. 5. 
How this doctrine is connected with Christ and with 
all that is precious in the hopes of believers, Paul 



884 THE RESIIRKECTION OF LIFE. 

declares : " Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but 
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ 
Jesus my Lord : for whom I have suflFered the loss of 
all things, and do count them but dung, that I may 
win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own 
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is 
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which 
is of God by faith ; that I may know him, and the 
power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his 
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death ; if 
by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of 
the dead." Phil. iii. 8 — 11. Is it not enough that 
Jesus went before us, that he is risen from the dead, 
become the first-fruits of them that slept, and given 
us infallible assurance that '' them that sleep in Jesus 
■will God bring with him ?" 1 Thess. iv. 14. So it is 
all, all through Christ, through Christ alone. Match- 
less One ! ! ! 



CHAPTER XLV. 



THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

God has not concealed his intention of bringing 
every work into judgment, with every secret thing, 
whether it be good, or whether it be evil. From the 
earliest ages inspired men have freely and clearly 
spoken of the day of judgment. Enoch, who was the 
seventh from Adam, and all of whose life on earth, 
except the last twenty-two years, was cotemporaneous 
with that of Adam, prophesied, saying, '' Behold, the 
Lord Cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to exe- 
cute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are 
ungodly among them of their ungodly deeds, which they 
have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, 
which ungodly sinners have spoken against them." 
Three thousand years after Enoch, Jude found no 
fitter words, by which to warn daring sinners of their 
coming doom, than those just quoted from the antedi- 
luvian prophet. The doctrine of a judgment is a fami- 
liar theme among inspired writers of both testaments. 
It is taught in the law, in the prophets, in the psalms, 
in the gospels, and in the epistles. It was so well un- 
derstood in the days of Christ and of Paul, that they 
simply call it "that day^'' thus designating it as the 
day of days, " the day for which all other days were 
made," and in comparison of which all other days are 
as nothing. 

S3 (385) 



386 THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

The day of judgment will be the great day. So 
inspired writers often and properly style it. It will 
exceed all other days for the brightness of its begin- 
ning. Other days had their dim twilight, but this will 
begin in ineflFable effulgence. Their light was from 
the sun ; the light of this shall be from Him who made 
all things. Other days dawn with general quiet, but 
this shall begin with great and unusual noises. " Our 
God shall come, and shall not keep silence ; a fire shall 
devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous 
round about him. He shall call to the heavens from 
above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people." 
Jesus shall come in like manner as he went up on high. 
^' The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a 
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the 
trump of God." On that day men will see sights, and 
hear sounds, unlike all that ever struck their senses 
before. The brightness of Immanuel's coming will 
extinguish the light of the heavenly bodies, and the 
sounds, which shall be heard, shall make the earth reel 
and stagger like a drunken man. This day will be 
crowded full of wonders. It will be begun, carried 
on, and closed with such displays of miracles as the 
world has never seen before. The results accomplished 
by it will be as wonderful as the progress of its events. 
Every way of God to man shall then be justified. 
All wickedness shall be put down. All cavil shall be 
for ever silenced. All judgment shall then be exe- 
cuted. 

In speaking of the day of judgment and perdition 
of ungodly men, Peter says, " One day is with the 
Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one 
day." From this some infer that the judgment-day 



THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 387 

will last a thousand years. This may be a mistaken 
conclusion, but that day will last long enough to an- 
swer all the purposes of a careful and universal scru- 
tiny of human actions and characters. If this day be 
not a long day^ it will be because God will, by his in- 
finite perfections, make a few hours answer all the ends 
of a portion of duration equal to many generations. 
He can vindicate his ways, acquit the innocent, con- 
demn the guilty, and show that he is just in saving 
sinners, without any of those slow processes to which 
human tribunals are subject. Yet there is a general 
impression that the day of judgment will commence 
at midnight, and last beyond what would be the limits 
of a day of our time. The word day in Scripture 
often designates a period much longer than twenty- 
four hours. The day of judgment will last long enough 
to answer all the ends of God in appointing it, and 
this is enough for us to know. The rest is open to 
conjecture. 

The day of judgment is a did^-j fixed. The time for 
it is set by God himself. " He hath appointed a day, 
in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, 
by that man whom he hath ordained." To God that 
day is known, to us it is unknown ; to him it is certain, 
to us it is doubtful. " Of that day and hour knoweth 
no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father 
only." It will come as a thief in the night, as the 
flood came on the old world, as the tempest of wrath 
came on the cities of the plain ; yet it is unchangeably 
determined by God. Men may not be looking for it, 
but God sees it afar oflF. As nothing can hasten it, 
so that it shall come before God's purposes respecting 
the world are accomplished, so nothing can delay it 



388 THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

one moment beyond tlie time fixed in God's eternal 
counsels for its coming. 

Frequently the day of judgment is called '^ the day 
of the Lord." It will be the day when the Lord 
Christ shall appear in glory, display the wonders of 
his mediation and the perfection of his government, 
and will publicly be owned and crowned as Lord of all. 
There Avill be no disputes concerning the divinity of 
Christ, on or after the day of judgment, which will be 
his day. If the power that shall work, if the majesty 
that shall preside, if the knowledge that shall deter- 
mine, if the justice that shall condemn, if the mercy 
that shall spare on that day be not divine, and con- 
vincingly so, it will be of no use to try to learn what 
is so. '' The Father judgeth no man, but has com- 
mitted all judgment to the Son.'' That day will be 
the day of the Lord Jesus. 

The day of judgment will be above all others a day 
of convocation. The heavens and the earth shall fur- 
nish the assembly. The chariots of God, which are 
twenty thousand, shall roll down the skies, bearing in 
them ten thousand times ten thousand, an innumerable 
company of angels. Fallen angels too shall be there ; 
and them that sleep in Jesus shall God bring with him. 
All that died in their sins shall be there ; and all that 
are alive on the earth shall stand before God. Not 
one of all God's rational creatures shall be missing. 
Prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, saints, sinners, 
liars, hypocrites, infidels, blasphemers, haters of God, 
shall all be present. The assizes of the universe shall 
then be held. Millions on millions shall crowd this 
greatest of all congregations. " We must all appear 
before the judgment-seat of Christ." This will be the 



THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 389 

first and the last gathering of all the denizens of the 
universe. 

The day of judgment will be one of unparalleled 
excitement. There will be no listless spectators of 
those scenes. Men have fallen asleep at a marriage, 
at a funeral, in the house of God, and in the chamber 
of the dying. But none will slumber when they shall 
see a world wrapped in flames, a universe convened for 
judgment, and the Judge on the great white throne. 
Every eye shall see, every ear shall attend to Him, 
who utters the words, "Come, ye blessed," '^ Depart, 
ye cursed." Every faculty of intelligence and of feel- 
ing will that day be roused to the highest exercises of 
which it is capable. Dreams, fancies, whims and wan- 
dering thoughts attend men in this life, but in that 
day all will be eagerness, thought, excitement. 

The day of judgment will also be a day of great 
surprise^ both to saints and sinners. So Christ ex- 
pressly informs us : '' Then shall the righteous answer 
him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and 
fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave thee drink ? When saw 
we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and 
clothed thee ? Or, when saw we thee sick, or in pri- 
son, and came unto thee ?" In like manner also shall 
the wicked say unto him, '' Lord, when saw we thee 
an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or 
sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee ?" 
If the sentences of the just and unjust were reversed 
at the day of judgment, the surprise would not be half 
so great. Jesus said: '' Many will say unto me in 
that day. Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy 
name ? and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in 
thy name done many wonderful works ? And then 
33^ 



390 THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

will I profess unto them, I never knew you ; depart 
from me, ye that work iniquity." Many will be saved, 
and many will be lost contrary to the judgments 
formed of them by their neighbours. But more will 
be saved, and more will be lost contrary to the opin- 
ions they had of themselves. Christians will wonder 
that they are saved, and hoiv they are saved, and they 
will wonder that they should be commended for deeds 
full of imperfection. The wicked will be amazed that 
they are lost, and how they are lost, and especially 
that God puts no value upon their self-righteousness. 
The sons of God will receive more honour than they 
ever thought of claiming ; while the wicked will find 
their hopes perishing one by one, and their lamp going 
out in obscure darkness. Christians will wonder why 
they should be saved. Sinners will wonder why they 
should not be saved. The latter will ask, '' What have 
tue done?" The former will say, ''What have we not 
done?" The sinner says he does the best he can. 
The righteous says, "Behold, I am vile." 

Many doubts, mysteries and perplexities will be fully 
and for ever removed in that great day. Things, 
which in this life were full of grievous darkness, will 
be then satisfactorily cleared up. God's providence, 
which is now accompanied by a thousand inexplicable 
things, will then be made plain. Now the wicked are 
exalted ; then they shall be brought down to hell. Now 
the righteous are forsaken, afflicted, tormented ; then 
the Lord will bring forth their righteousness as the 
light, and their judgment as the noonday. That day 
will wipe off all aspersions from the innocent, and fix 
guilt where it belongs, though never suspected before. 
God's truth, wisdom, holiness, justice, and mercy will 



THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 391 

shine brighter than the sun on that day. The slan- 
dered, injured and abused will then be vindicated ; 
and the oppressed will rise up and clank the chains, 
with which tyrants had bound them, to the eternal con- 
fusion of wrong-doers. Many a righteous man, judi- 
cially murdered, will then face liis corrupt judge with 
the suborned witnesses and perjured jurors w^ho were 
at his trial. There will be a wonderful clearing up on 
that day. 

It will also be a day of exposure, '^ Some men's 
sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment, 
and some they follow after." The fraud, cunning, 
hypocrisy, and deceit of wicked men will then appear. 
All those dark designs and plots, w^hich meditated ruin 
to individuals, distress to families, perplexity to nations, 
or dishonour to God, shall be held up to reprobation. 
The light of that day will shine through and through 
the thickest web of iniquity, and show all its foul in- 
tricacies. 

This will also be a day of decision. In this world 
appeals are often taken from lower to higher courts, 
from the judgment of cotemporaries to that of poste- 
rity, and from the judgment of man to that of God. 
But the tribunal of Christ is the court of the last re- 
sort. From his decision there lies no appeal. On 
that day, causes and destinies will not merely be in- 
quired into ; they will be decided. Thenceforward 
for ever, the law will be, " He that is unjust, let him 
be unjust still ; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy 
still ; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous 
still ; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." No- 
thing can reverse, nor arrest the judgments of that 
day. Nothing can alter or vary the decree of the 



392 THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

Judge. It shall stand for ever. The judgment of the 
great day is called the " eternal judgment," because 
it will be irrevocable and everlasting in its effects. It 
will bind for ever. 

The day of judgment will also be a day of separa- 
tions. Here saints and sinners are strangely mixed 
together. There it will be very different. Christ 
says : " Let both tares and wheat grow together until 
the harvest ; and in the time of harvest, I will say to 
the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and 
bind them in bundles to burn them ; but gather the 
wheat into my barn.'* "When the Son of Man shall 
come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, 
then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory : and 
before him shall be gathered all nations : and he shall 
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth 
his sheep from the goats ; and he shall set the sheep 
on his right hand, but the goats on his left." This 
separation shall be final. The righteous and the wicked 
shall that day part to meet no more. 

To Christ, his saints and angels, the day of judg- 
ment will be a day of triumph. The Lord will then 
make a show of his enemies openly. They that would 
not kiss the Son, shall be dashed in pieces like a pot- 
ter's vessel. In his triumph, all his saints and angels 
shall share and glory. 

To the wicked the same day will be full of despair. 
They will cry to the rocks and to the mountains : 
" Fall on us and cover us from the face of him that 
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb ; 
for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall 
be able to stand ?" Was more dreadful despair ever 
portrayed ? 



THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 393 

The day of judgment will be the last day. So Christ 
calls it. So inspired writers often teach. ^ After it, 
"time shall be no longer." No more shall duration 
be measured by the alternations of day and night, or 
of the seasons ; and there shall be no succession of 
seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years as now. 
All beyond the judgment-day is boundless, fathomless 
eternity. This last day will leave an ineffaceable im- 
pression on all minds. None will ever forget what 
they shall have seen, and heard, and felt on that day. 
The great days of earth may fade from the memories 
of saints and sinners, but this last great day shall 
never, never, never perish from the recollection of 
any. 

It may well be doubted whether any man thinks as 
much as he should of the judgment-day. Justin Martyr 
said, " I seem always to be hearing these words : Awake 
ye dead and come to judgment." A modern writer 
speaking of the same day says : "It would seem as if 
Christ was always thinking of it. How frequently he 
speaks of it, and never but with the deepest solemnity." 
The apostles seem to have had everything associated 
with it. 

" Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, 
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy 
conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting 
unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the hea- 
vens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements 
shall melt with fervent heat." 

Keader, are you prepared for your last account? 
Have you made peace with God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ? Is all your hope in the precious blood and 
righteousness of Jesus Christ ? Nothing of your own 



394 THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

can save you in that day. It will burn as an oven. 
It will try your works and your hopes as by fire. If 
you have built on Christ, and on him only, then hold 
fast your confidence, which hath great recompense of 
reward. 

But if you are yet in your sins, then be persuaded 
to " flee for refuge to the hope set before you in the 
gospel." ''He that believeth on the Son hath ever- 
lasting life ; and he that believeth not the Son shall 
not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." 
Nor can you be in too much haste, or too much in 
earnest, in this weighty matter. It is your life. " Be- 
hold, the Judge standeth before the door." And he 
says : " Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with 
me, to give every man according to his work." 

If you are out of Christ, you are unreconciled to 
God. There are three classes of controversy. The 
first is where neither party has done any wrong, but 
the whole contest has arisen from mistake. In this 
case, all that is required to settle the difficulty is light 
and explanation. This is not the nature of God's con- 
troversy with us. We may have, yea, we doubtless 
have often misapprehended his character, and will, 
and rights ; but when we have understood them, we 
were more than ever averse to them. And God had 
never misunderstood us. He knows that we cordially 
hate him. Reconciliation by explanation is here im- 
possible. A second kind of controversy is where both 
parties have done wrong, and of course both have suf- 
fered wrong. Here must be mutual acknowledgment, 
concession and reparation. But God has never wronged 
us. He has never demanded too much. He has never 
been a hard master. Ilis precepts concerning all 



THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 395 

things are right, and every just man thinks so, and 
says so. We can never be reconciled in this way. 
The third kind of controversy is where all the fault 
and blame are on one side, the other party having been 
wholly innocent and fully right in every particular. 
This is the nature of God's controversy with us. We 
have sinned much, long, wantonly, stubbornly, hei- 
nously. We are all dead men, dead in trespasses and 
sins. If we w^ash ourselves with snow-water, and 
make us never so clean, yet he will plunge us in 
the ditch, and our own clothes shall abhor us. All 
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. "God be 
merciful to me a sinner," is always an appropriate 
prayer. 

Salvation by grace is every way suited to your case. 
You are a criminal. I have heard of one, who had 
broken the law. His soul was guilty. His fears went 
like iron into his soul. He was arrested and held " in 
strong prison." His case grew darker every day. No 
way of escape seemed possible. The day of trial came. 
The testimony was clear. There was no room for fair 
.argument in his favour. The verdict was, *' Guilty." 
The sentence followed. The day of execution came. 
He w^as led forth in chains. His spirit was crushed. 
Dry sorrow had drunk up his blood and spirits ; not a 
tear did he shed. The green fields, the blue heavens, 
the hoary mountains, and the crystal streams had all 
faded from his mind. He thought as though he thought 
not. Some said he was hardened, some thought his 
mind wandered. All pitied him but himself. He said 
his sentence was just. 

At that moment a cry was heard, " Open the way, 
and let the officer of the government pass." An avenue 



396 THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

is cleared, and as soon closes. With quick step the 
new-comer ascends the scaffold, and hands the sheriff 
a paper duly signed and sealed. It is a pardon. In 
a proper way the sheriff reads to the guilty man his 
release from the penalty. His tears begin to flow, he 
utters a few broken sentences, his bosom heaves, it 
seems to him like a dream, he fears there is some mis- 
take, he looks at the signature and seal. Surprise, 
gratitude, and abundant tears of joy mark the man 
who seemed just now to be past feeling. He is alive 
again. The sun shines in beauty, and nature seems to 
rejoice all around him. 

But how came that pardon ? It was obtained at the 
intercession of one whom he had always avoided and 
often contemned. Can he slight him again ? No ; he 
will search till he finds him, he will confess his past 
errors, he will express his thanks not once, but a thou- 
sand times. He will speak lightly of him no more. 
He will rise at midnight to serve him. 

So is the case of the sinner saved by the blood, and 
righteousness, and intercession of Christ. He admires 
the Saviour. He calls him Lord. His heart melts, 
whenever he thinks of his goodness towards him. His 
gratitude begets obedience, and he knows no Re- 
deemer but one. He owns none else, he desires none 
else. Thus " the goodness of God leadeth to repent- 
ance." 

There are some things of unparalleled interest in 
this final judgment. One is the glory which shall then 
be revealed in us. " In this life God treats and ac- 
knowledges us as his children, he clothes us with the 
righteousness of his Son, feeds us with his word, de- 
fends us from our spiritual enemies; but the most 



THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 397 

public declaration of his favour shall be in the next 
life, when all ' the children of the resurrection* shall 
be born in a day. Add further, although the souls of 
believers immediately upon their separation are re- 
ceived into heaven, and during the sleep of death 
enjoy admirable visions of glory; yet their blessed- 
ness is imperfect, in comparison of that excellent de- 
gree, which shall be enjoyed at the resurrection. As 
the Roman generals, after a complete conquest, first 
entered the city privately, and having obtained license 
of the Senate, made their triumphant entry with all 
the magnificence and splendour becoming the great- 
ness of their victories : so after a faithful Christian 
^hath fought the good fight,' and is come ofi* ^more 
than a conqueror,' he enters privately the celestial 
city; but when the body is raised to immortality, 
he shall then, in the company and with the accla- 
mations of the holy angels, have a glorious entry 
into it." 

Another matter of interest in that day will be the 
display of mercy and grace then made. So Paul 
teaches : " The Lord give mercy unto the house of 
Onesiphorus ; for he oft refreshed me, and was not 
ashamed of my chain ; but, when he was in Rome, 
he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The 
Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the 
Lord IN THAT DAY." There will indeed be wonderful 
exhibitions of justice, terrible manifestations of wrath, 
but stupendous displays of mercy. Who of us will 
not then need mercy ? 

To some minds the greatest wonder of the last day 
will be the composure and calmness with which that 
day will be met by the righteous. John says, " Our 
34 



898 THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

love IS made perfect, that we may have boldness in 
the day of judgment.^' I never should have thought 
of boldness at such a time, but that I find it in God's 
■word. It is attained by love to Him, who on that 
day will be our advocate, the Lord our righteous- 
ness. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 



ETERNAL GLORY. 



The Judgment shall be immediately succeeded by 
amazing bliss and glory. In this heavenly happiness 
the entire persons of the saints shall partake. This is 
the hope, the desire and the inheritance of all true 
Christians. They are heirs of salvation, heirs accord- 
ing to the hope of eternal life, heirs according to the 
promise, heirs of righteousness by faith, heirs of the 
grace of life, heirs of the kingdom, heirs of God and 
joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. The indwelling of the 
Holy Ghost is " the earnest of our inheritance." Pre- 
sent sufferings for Christ's sake are sure pledges of 
our winning the kingdom. "If we suffer with him, 
we shall also reign with him.'' Our calling to be 
saints is a token of our share in coming glory. " God 
hath called us to his kingdom and glory." Our con- 
formity to God is a sign that cannot be mistaken. 
" The Father hath made us meet to be partakers of 
the inheritance of the saints in light." Our justifica- 
tion proves the same. " They which receive abun- 
dance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, shall 
reign in life by Jesus Christ." The Lord Jesus has so 
ordained. '^ I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as 
my Father hath appointed unto me ; that ye may eat 
and drink at my table in my kingdom." They inherit 
everlasting life, a kingdom prepared for them from the 

(399) 



400 ETERNAL GLORY. 

foundation of the world. ^'He that overcometh shall 
inherit all things, and I will make him my son." 

There is a very pleasing variety in the modes of 
presenting heavenly things to our conceptions. At 
one time in view of the greatness of the way heaven 
is called a rest. Again it is styled a crown, a king- 
dom, an inheritance, glory, honour, immortality, 
eternal life, a house not made with hands, our Father's 
house, an heavenly temple, Mount Zion, the new hea- 
vens, the new Jerusalem. By selecting a great variety 
of the best and most excellent things known on earth, 
and yet showing no steadfast attachment to any one 
form of speech, the inspired writers leave us to infer 
that their clearest representations are but faint em- 
blems of celestial bliss. Indeed they seem at a great 
loss for words to express their own conceptions on the 
subject. What two things are more unlike than gold 
and pure glass ? One is transparent, the other opaque. 
One is colourless, the other yellow. One is brittle, 
the other may be hammered to the thinnest leaf. One 
is a human fabric, the other cannot be made by man. 
And yet John says, '' The city was pure gold, like unto 
clear glass." Indeed, ^'eye hath not seen, nor ear 
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the 
things which God hath prepared for them that love 
him." Two persons admitted within the walls of the 
celestial city have returned to dwell on earth. One 
was Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and 
Martha. Whether he ever told his friends anything 
of what he had seen and heard in the invisible world, 
we have no means of knowing. Tradition says that 
after his return to life he never seemed deeply inter- 
ested in worldly aflairs, and ascribes this change in 



ETERNAL GLORY. 401 

him to the visions of glory, which he had enjoyed. 
The other was Paul, who was caught up into Paradise, 
into the third heavens. Yet his account is short and 
chiefly negative : '' I heard unspeakable words, which 
it is not lawful for a man to utter.'' This is his whole 
narrative. Angels have often visited our world, but 
even when they have assumed a human form and con- 
versed with men, none of them ever attempted a de- 
scription of the world of light, from which they came. 
Inspired men sometimes speak on the subject, but com- 
monly in language highly figurative. Thus John tells 
us that the walls of the celestial city are fifteen hun- 
dred miles on each of its four sides, and as high as 
they are long. Is he giving us the exact dimensions 
of the great capital of God's dominions? or does he 
merely design to convey to our minds conceptions of 
vastness and magnificence quite beyond the scale of 
anything known on earth ? John says expressly, " It 
doth not yet appear what we shall be." Paul also 
says : " We know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
But when that which is perfect is come, then that 
which is in part shall be done away. When I was a 
child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I 
thought as a child ; but when I became a man, I put 
away childish things. For now we see through a 
glass darkly ; but then face to face ; now I know in 
part ; but then shall I know even as I am known.'' 
1 Cor. xiii. 9 — 12. The saints in light probably in an 
hour gain more just and adequate and satisfying know- 
ledge of that upper world, than the ablest divines have 
acquired in a long life-time of reading and meditation. 
As carnal men have very vague and erroneous concep- 
tions of what it is to be born again, so the best men 
34* 



402 ETERNAL GLORY. 

on earth know but little of what it is to be born into 
glory. 

To prepare for this eternal glory is the great busi- 
ness of life. Nothing is wiser than to make everything 
subordinate to the attainment of a crown of righteous- 
ness. To have the least fitness for heaven is an un- 
speakable blessing ; and '' to be rich in grace is the 
sure pledge that we shall be rich in glory." Indeed 
glory is grace completed, crowned, triumphant. There 
vast and accurate knowledge shall feed the immortal 
mind. " We shall know even as we are known." 
" The works and government of Grod will ever aiford 
themes of inquiry, reflection and wonder." Under in- 
fallible guidance the mind of man can make hitherto 
unthought-of advances in knowledge. 

The heavenly world is full of love, not of idle pre- 
tences and hollow professions, but of pure, holy afi*ec- 
tions. If in this world all men were as benevolent and 
condescending as some are, how happy men would be ! 
Yet in the best of men on earth love is imperfect. 
Not so in heaven. There God, who is Love, reigns 
for ever. There Christ, who is full of divine compas- 
sion and gentleness, sits on the Mediatorial throne. 
There the love of the Spirit warms all hearts. The 
Seraphim are burning ones, because their natures are 
all on fire with pure, kind, grateful, complacential and 
benevolent affections. There the spirits of just men 
are made perfect in love. There is no lack of friend- 
ship in that exalted society. The company is select, 
being made up of God's elect. The whole body of 
the redeemed are there publicly married to Christ. 
The great attraction of heaven is the glorified person 
of Jesus Christ. /'The Lamb is the light thereof." 



ETERNAL GLORY. 403 

^' We shall be ever with the Lord." " He that sitteth 
on the throne shall dwell among them/' Even in this 
world Christ is the delight of the sons of men. In 
viewing his character and love that great patriot and 
preacher, John Welch, exclaimed : "0 love of love I 
the height, and the depth, and the breadth, and the 
length of that love of thine, which passeth knowledge ! 
uncreated love ! Beginning without beginning, and 
ending without end ! Thou art my glory, my joy, my 
gain, my crown. Thou hast set me under thy shadow 
with great delight, and thy fruit is sweet to my taste. 
Thou hast brought me into thy banqueting-house, and 
placed me in thy orchard. Stay me with thy flagons, 
and comfort me with thine apples : for I am sick, and 
my soul is wounded with thy love." If such elevations 
of the affections can be attained here, what will not 
heavenly love be ? 

Heaven is also the abode of joy. " Well done, good 
and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy 
Lord." It is called the joy of the Lord, because the 
Lord has prepared our bliss for us, and because he 
himself is the object chiefly enjoyed. "In thy pre- 
sence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand are plea- 
sures for evermore." Here our greatest joys are short- 
lived, imperfect and unsatisfying. Nothing continues. 
Ail is unsettled and easily marred. There all is stable 
as eternity. Here ills in armies beset us. There sor- 
rows cease, sickness, sadness and sighing flee away, 
bereavement never desolates, tears never flow, tem- 
pests never rage, temptations never vex, want, war, 
and death never enter, rust never corrupts, thieves 
never steal, days of weariness and nights of vanity are 
for ever unknown, sin never defiles, and peace reigns 



404 ETERNAL GLORY. 

unbroken. There "the wicked cease from troubling, 
and the weary are at rest." "There is no darkness 
there ; for the Lord God giveth them light, and the 
Lamb is the light thereof." The people that dwell 
there shall be forgiven their iniquity. They shall 
hunger no more, neither thirst any more. There are 
no discords, tumults, or enmities there. The employ- 
ments never fatigue, never disgust, are never drivel- 
ling. Satiety is unknown. There is no dulness 
among the redeemed. The cruel mockings of earth 
shall be followed by kind congratulations and songs of 
deliverance. The eternal anthem is, " Unto him that 
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own 
blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God 
and his Father ; to him be glory and dominion for 
ever and ever. Amen." If we are believers, heaven is 
just before us. " It is strange that a subject of grace 
should be so reluctant to become a subject of glory." 
Who would not wish to 

•'Burst from the thraldom of encumbering clay, 
And spring to liberty, and light, and life V^ 

The most difficult part of salvation is at the first ; 
but the most fruitful part of salvation is at the last. 
The choicest portion of every Christian's existence is 
before him. Nature is inferior to grace, and nature and 
grace are both inferior to glory. '' The sons of God 
have much in hand and more in hope.'' The sights 
seen, the sounds heard, and the emotions felt in heaven 
are peculiar to that blessed abode ; and all is durable 
as the throne of God. All flows from the bounty 
of an infinite God and Saviour. The grace of Christ 
in heaven displays its richest fruits to the rapturous 
gaze and boundless admiration of all holy creatures. 



ETERNAL GLORY. 405 

Could we but believe what God has spoken on this 
blessed theme, we might each say : 

** Farewell, vain world ; my soul can iDid adieu ; 
My Saviour taught mo to abandon you. 
Your charms may gratify a sensual mind, 
But cannot please a soul for God inclined. 
Forbear t' entice, cease then my soul to call : 
^Tis fixed through grace ; my God shall be my all. 
While he thus lets me heavenly glories view, 
Your beauties fade, my heart ^s no room for you.'' 

The alleluiahs of the hosts above are as the sound 
of many waters and of mighty thunderings. Their 
songs are of victory. They all have palms in their 
hands and are harping with their harps. 

How near heaven may be none on earth can tell. 
The hill of Zion, the mount of God, the temple not 
made with hands, are often hard by, when we think 
them far distant. At all times we may say to God's 
people, "Now is your salvation nearer than when ye 
believed." Many of the saints daily arrive at their 
long sought home. The doves will all find their win- 
dows. " To be content to stay always in this world is 
above the obedience of angels." In all ages the saints 
have longed and fainted for an entrance into the upper 
sanctuary. Often have they cried, " Lord, how 
long?" The prayer of one long since gathered to his 
people, well suits multitudes: "Lord, gather me with 
thy flock : they are fast a-gathering ; the church's 
Head is gone ; he has left the earth and entered into 
his glory ; my brethren and friends many of them have 
arrived where he is ; I am yet behind. how great 
is the difference between my state and theirs. I am 
groaning out my complaint j they are singing God's 



406 ETERNAL GLORY. 

praise ; I sit in darkness and cannot see thy face, but 
they behold thee face to face. should I be satisfied 
to stay behind, when my friends are gone ? Shall I 
wander here in a hungry desert, when they are tri- 
umphing above, and dividing the spoils V Let men 
think much of heavenly glory. Let them seek that 
city, which hath foundations, whose Maker and Builder 
is God. " He, who seldom thinks of heaven, is not 
likely to get there. The only sure way to hit the mark 
is to keep the eye steadily fixed upon it." Men go not 
to that blessed land without desiring it, intending it, 
forsaking all for it. If you love not to think of hea- 
ven, while you live, you will not love to be in heaven 
when you die. It is not wicked to long for the day 
when we shall enter into rest, provided there be no 
self-will or impatience indulged. How can it be sinful 
for us to wish to see the Lord ? 

Would you make sure of heaven ? Make sure of 
an interest in Christ by faith. Would you be a par- 
taker of his glory, then accept his grace. The celes- 
tial gates will be open to all such as are by God's 
Spirit fitted for the joys of paradise. None can be 
thus prepared but such as know Jesus Christ, and the 
power of his resurrection, who have made a covenant 
wdth him by sacrifice, and fled to him for refuge. Je- 
sus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. 



CHAPTER XLVII, 



ALL HONOUR IS DUE TO CHRIST. 

If these things be so, then we should study to mag- 
nify Christ, both in life and in death. He is the Sa- 
viour ; and such a Saviour ! He is mighty to redeem 
and strong to deliver. The law came by Moses, but 
grace and truth by Jesus Christ. He counted it 
not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself 
of no reputation. It is therefore just that he should 
have a name above every name : that at the name of 
Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and 
things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that 
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
to the glory of God the Father. He lays his hand 
upon both God and man. He has at once an almighty 
arm and a brother's heart. None is more exalted, yet 
none stoops so low. None is mightier, yet none is 
more tender. He shall not break the bruised reed, nor 
quench the smoking flax. He shall not fail, nor be 
discouraged, till he set judgment in the earth. He 
shall drink of the brook in the way ; therefore shall 
he lift up the head. He is meek and lowly, merciful 
and mild ; at the same time he is the Son of Grod with 
power. There is none like Jesus. Our Beloved is 
more than any other beloved. He alone can do sin- 

(407) 



*408 ALL HONOUR IS DUE TO CHRIST. 

ners good. His blood atones. His obedience to the 
precept of the law is a perfect righteousness. His in- 
tercession is all prevalent and unspeakably glorious. 
This part of his work is still going on. It is a per- 
petual fruit of his love. We are deeply interested in 
it. Gurnall says : " Suppose a king's son should get 
out of a besieged city, and leave behind his wife and 
children, whom he loves as his own soul ; would this 
prince, when arrived at his father's palace, delight 
himself with the splendour of the court, and forget 
his family in distress ? No ; he would come post to 
his father, and entreat him, as ever he loved him, that 
he would send all the force of his kingdom to raise the 
siege, and save his dear relations from perishing. Nor 
will Christ, though gone up from the world, and as- 
cended into his glory, forget his children for a moment, 
that are left behind him." He ever liveth to make 
intercession for them. Him the Father heareth 
alway. 

He is Prophet, Priest and King. He is made of God 
unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctiiBcation and re- 
demption. By his Spirit he enlightens, purifies and 
comforts the heart. His word cannot be broken. 
His power cannot be resisted. The law of heavenly 
kindness is in his heart. The covenant of his peace 
shall stand. Great is his faithfulness. He is both 
God and man. Some one has said : " A mere man, by 
himself alone, could as little redeem a world as he 
could create one ; and though God by himself alone 
can doubtless create, uphold and govern the world ; 
yet, in order to redeem it, the union of the two divided 
parts is necessary, and a voluntary satisfaction for sin 
is required, which he alone can make, who at the same 



ALL HONOUR IS DUE TO CHIIIST. 409 

time stands above the law and under the law." Who 
could see any fitness in a Saviour, who was not both 
God and man in one person for ever ? Such an one 
is our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the ancients thought 
that he had been made solely for the purpose of ad- 
miring the sun. But, believing soul, thou hast been 
made a Christian, that thou mightest admh'e Christ. 
His name is Wonderful. I cannot tell thee in what 
he is most excellent. ''I find no fault in him," in 
either of his offices, or in either of his natures, in his 
work, or in his sufi'erings, in his humiliation, or in his 
exaltation. In him dwell all excellencies, human and 
divine. He is full of grace and truth. His glory is 
that of the only-begotten of the Father. There is 
none like him, no, not one. He is the chiefest among 
ten thousand and altogether lovely. As the apple- 
tree among the trees of the wood, so is our Beloved 
among the sons of men. Wherever he is there is hea- 
ven. Redemption by his blood, salvation by his grace 
w^ill justly be celebrated for ever. It should be highly 
and often spoken of in the church militant. This 
theme will be ever welcome to the holy, because it is 
infinite, and because it will ever be developing new 
wonders and glories. In the conduct of some of his 
professed people nothing is more incongruous, nothing 
awakens such doubts of their interest in his salvation, 
as their want of sentiments of glowing love to him and 
to his cause. By him alone can bond or free, Jew or 
Gentile, Greek or barbarian be saved. For such kind- 
ness as his it does not suffice that thankfulness be 
owned as a duty. If Christ had merely cherished 
some secret pity for us, and never expressed it, silence 
on our part would not be so bad. But he loved us 
35 



41^ ALL HONOUR IS DUE TO CHRIST. 

openly. He loved us unto death. Never attempt to 
divide the honours which are due to him alone. An- 
gels are indeed sent forth to minister to them, who 
shall be heirs of salvation, but they are not our sa- 
viours. The instrument of our salvation man may be, 
but God alone is its Author, Beware of sacrificing to 
your own net, and burning incense to your own drag. 
Left to yourself, you are neither wise, nor strong, nor 
prudent, nor holy, nor diligent, nor safe. 

Praise and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ, for of 
him, and from him, and by him, and through him, and 
to him are all things. Praise him on the Sabbath, for 
since his resurrection it is "the Lord's day.'' Praise 
him the whole week, for his mercies flow down con- 
tinually. Praise him at night, for his goodness runs 
through the day. Praise him in the morning, for those 
who seek him early shall find him. Praise him at 
midnight, for at that hour David gave thanks. Praise 
him seven times a-day, for every day he fills you with 
food and gladness. Praise him in sickness and in 
health, in joy and in sorrow, in life and in death. 
Crown him with songs, for he crowns the year with his 
goodness. Let his praise be continually in your 
mouth. Praise him the more when others maintain 
silence, or murmur against him, and blaspheme his 
holy name. Let their failure to do their duty arouse 
you to do yours. Whoever is found among the impi- 
ous or profane, do you be numbered with the grate- 
ful. Would you make your burdens light? Extol 
the Son of God. That night cannot be very dark, in 
which he "giveth songs." Who would not magnify 
and honour such a Saviour ? His w^orks of creation 
praise him, and shall not his works of redemption 



ALL HONOUR IS DUE TO CHRIST. 411 

bless him ? His angels, his hosts, the sun and moon, 
the stars of light, the heaven of heavens, the water 
above the heavens, the dragons and all deeps, fire and 
hail, snowy vapours, stormy wind fulfilling his Avord, 
mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars, 
beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying fowl, 
do praise him. Their voice is gone out to the ends of 
the w^orld. Shall these all in their way praise him, 
and shall his people keep silence ? Saints owe him a 
debt of gratitude for existence, for reason, for immor- 
tality ; but for his grace they owe him a song that 
should never end. To say nothing against him at the 
best evinces a very low grade of virtue. To have a 
disposition to praise him and to suppress it is not 
enough. Let the feeling be indulged, let the song be 
sung, let the shout be uttered. Let all the saints cry, 
Hosanna to the Son of David, let them laud him say- 
ing, Alleluiah. He that hath a praising heart hath a 
continual feast. Praise him in the highest. 

If saved, this shall be our work when the sun and 
moon shall be gone for ever. In the temple above 
they sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy : for 
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy 
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, 
and nation ; and hast made us unto our God kings and 
priests. " And I beheld," says one who saw, " and I 
heard the voice of many angels round about the 
throne, and the beasts, and the elders ; and the num- 
ber of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and 
thousands of thousands : saying wdth a loud voice, 
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, 
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, 
and glory, and blessing. And every creature, which 



412 ALL HONOUR IS DUE TO CHRIST. 

is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, 
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, 
heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and 
power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and 
unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts 
said. Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell 
down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and 
ever." Who, who would not join this grandest chorus 
of the universe ? If creation praises its Maker, shall 
not the new creation magnify its Author ? He is the 
Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the 
Author and Finisher of our faith. He is Christ the 
Lord. Jehovah says : " Whoso offereth praise glori- 
fieth me." Often does he bind us by the most solemn 
commands to do this duty. Hear his words : " Give 
unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the 
Lord glory and strength." " Give unto the Lord the 
glory due unto his name: come before him, worship 
the Lord in the beauty of holiness." "Ye that fear 
the Lord praise him ; all the seed of Jacob glorify 
him." These are but samples of his authoritative 
teachings. In accordance with them let us ever say, 
"Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name 
give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake." 
"Unto him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ, 
throughout all ages, world without end." "To God 
only wise be glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever. 
Amen." Let us not be offended at doxologies to 
Christ. None but his enemies dislike to hear him 
praised by hosannas in the highest. "When the 
chief-priests and scribes saw the wonderful things 
that he did, and the children crying in the tem- 
ple, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they 



ALL HONOUR IS DUE TO CHRIST. 413 

were sore displeased." Matt xxi. 11, 15. Be not 
like these surly old hypocrites, but like those little 
children out of whose mouths he perfected praise. 
Do as Pliny says the early Christians did, and 
^^sing a hymn to Jesus Christ as God," as your Sa- 
viour and your eternal portion. 

35* 



CIIAPTEB, XLVIII. 



CHRISTIANS LONG TO SEE CHRIST. 

Sinners, saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, greatly love his person, and long to see him, 
and to be filled with his fulness. He that has seen the 
Son, has seen the Father. He is the brightness of the 
Father's glory, and the express image of his person. 
Yet his divinity is so veiled by his flesh that we fear 
not to come near him. Formerly many denied the 
proper humanity of Christ, but now the attack is against 
his divinity. Both are fundamental. If he is not the 
true God, he is not eternal life. His humanity makes 
him most approachable. 

Till God in human flesh I see, 
My thoughts no comfort find ; 
The holy, just and sacred Three 
Are terrors to my mind. 

Jesus is the source of all hope, and joy, and peace, 
and life, and comfort to the pious. Therefore they 
love him, and long to be with him, that they may be- 
hold his glory, which he had with the Father before 
the world was. 

In this life the saints look to the Saviour by faith ; 

in the next they behold him by immediate vision. Here 

they see liim through a glass darkly ; there they see 

him face to face. The stronger their faith, the clearer 

(414) 



CHRISTIANS LONG TO SEE CHRIST. 415 

the view they here have of him. Sometimes a sight 
of him even through a glass, is wonderful, and makes 
the soul like the chariots of Amminadib. Such a sight 
has often made God's people welcome whips, and chains, 
and dungeons, and death. But the vision of him in 
the next world will transcend all human conceptions. 
There he is not only glorious as on the mount of trans- 
figuration ; but he is as gentle, as kind, as tender as 
when he wept at the grave of Lazarus, gave eyes to the 
blind, and feet to the lame, or granted mercy to a 
wretch hanging by his side. True, he weeps no more, 
but his present kindness soothes every sorrow in the 
hearts of his "hidden ones." Tea, his hand wipes all 
tears from their faces. Even the old disciple who 
groaned out his sixty years on earth, and the little 
infant redeemed by his blood, though it wept out its 
week of life, shall sigh no more for ever. His glory 
and his tenderness expel all sadness, bar all sorrows. 

Here his people behold him in their closets. While 
they sit alone and keep silence, he speaks comfortably 
to them, he puts in his hand by the hole of the door. 
Jesus reveals himself to those who love secret devotion. 
He visits where his flocks rest at noon. Would you 
have clear views of Jesus ? Lay aside your worldliness, 
enter into your chamber, and shut your door about you. 
If you but mingle with the crowd, you may look in vain 
for soul-transforming views of the Redeemer. Blessed 
Saviour, why is my heart so slow to seek thee in soli- 
tude ? "While the King sitteth at his table, my spike- 
nard sendeth forth the smell thereof.'' I must seek 
him more. I will hearken unto him, and walk in his 
ways; then he will soon subdue my enemies, then shall 
he feed me with the finest of the wheat, and with 



416 CHRISTIANS LONG TO SEE CHRIST. 

honey out of the rock shall he satisfy me. Lord, in- 
crease my faith. 

It is also well to ascend the mount of ordinances, 
that we may see him in his beauty and glory. There 
he is held in his galleries. There he often manifests 
himself in the breaking of bread. In the songs of Zion, 
in public prayers, in gospel preaching, how gloriously 
does Christ often come and make his abode with his 
people, and fill their hearts with joy and peace! 
''Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will 
be still praising thee. * * A day in thy courts is better 
than a thousand. I had rather be a door-keeper in the 
house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wicked- 
ness.'' Often do his saints go down from his house, 
satisfied as with marrow and fatness, when some word 
in season, borne to their hearts by the blessed Spirit, 
has been spoken by the servant of Christ. 

Many get pleasant views of Christ in the valley of 
humiliation, which flows with wholesome waters, abounds 
with precious fruits, and is the constant resort of our 
souls' Beloved. Some of the sights there seen, such 
as the evil of sin and the wickedness of our own hearts, 
are not pleasant ; but these make a sight of Jesus the 
more ravishing. Every child of God finds great trea- 
sure in this valley. Some have thought it better than 
the mount of transfiguration, and would gladly abide 
there all their days ; for there they see Jesus as they 
never see him anywhere else. The place suits them 
well. 

We often get a blessed view of our Saviour, when 
we are in the furnace of afiliction. Sometimes its heat 
is intense; but the hotter, the better, if Jesus be 
with US; and our faith fail not. When the furnace of 



CHRISTIANS LONG TO SEE CHRIST. 417 

Nebuchadnezzar was made seven times hotter than 
usual, and the three faithful Hebrews were cast into it, 
there was one seen walking with them, and '' his form 
was like unto the Son of God." Many Christians 
declare that they never saw happier days than when 
adversity pressed hard upon them. This is just what 
Jesus promised : " I will not leave you comfortless : I 
will come to you." John xiv. 12. 

But the brightest vision of Christ will be when '' we 
shall see him as he is." The sight of husband, wife, 
child, parent, friend, or lover, never was so gladsome 
as the sight of the Saviour shall be. Blessed vision ! 
The righteous long for it. To be with Christ, and like 
Christ, and to behold his glory, will constitute the 
heaven for which they hope. Though I should never 
see another pleasant sight in this world, may I at last 
behold that blessed face, which was buffeted for me. 
Once his visage was so marred more than any man, 
and his form more than the sons of men. But when 
Paul saw him on the way to Damascus, he shined with 
a light, " above the brightness of the sun." And when 
John saw him, he fell at his feet as dead ; but he laid 
his hand upon him, saying, " Fear not ; I am the first, 
and the last ; I am he that liveth, and was dead, and 
behold I am alive for evermore. Amen ; and have the 
keys of hell and of death." Rev. i. 17, 18. Lord Jesus, 
help me, intercede for me, comfort me, forsake me not, 
but bring me to behold thy face in righteousness. 

All these blessed visions are by the grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. He is our Lord^ our Governor, our 
King. " One is your Master, even Christ." " Ye call 
me Master and Lord, and ye say well; for so I am." 
" Other lords have had dominion over us ; but by thee 



418 CHRISTIANS LONG TO SEE CimiST. 

only will we make mention of thy name." Like Thomas 
let us ever say, '' My Lord and my God !" If we really 
feel that he is our Master, and we his disciples ; our 
Lord, and we his servants ; we shall walk as he walked, 
we shall delight in his authority over us, we shall be 
happy in doing and suffering his holy will. 

He is also Jesus, which is the proper name of our 
Saviour. No name was ever more appropriate. Joshua 
was a saviour, and so w^ere many others ; but they 
were so only as instruments, while he is the author of 
salvation. Their deliverances were temporal and poli- 
tical. His salvation is spiritual and everlasting. 

Our Lord Jesus is Christ. The Hebrew word, Mes- 
siah, and the Greek word, Christ, both signify anointed. 
Christ was the Lord's anointed in the highest sense. 
He had the oil of gladness poured upon him above all 
his fellows. Thus we read in that beautiful narrative 
in Luke iv. 14 — 22 : " And Jesus returned in the power 
of the Spirit into Galilee ; and there went out a fame 
of him through all the region round about. And he 
taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And 
he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up ; 
and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on 
the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. And there 
was given him the book of the prophet Esaias. And 
when he had opened the book, he found the place, 
where it was written. The Spirit of the Lord God is 
upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the 
gospel to the poor ; he hath sent me to heal the broken- 
hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and re- 
covering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them 
that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the 
Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again 



CHRISTIANS LONG TO SEE CHRIST. 419 

to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all 
them that were in the synagogue w^ere fastened on him. 
And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scrip- 
ture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, 
and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded 
out of his mouth." This settles the fact, and points 
out the manner of his anointing. God the Father 
poured upon our Lord Jesus the Holy Ghost, and thus 
he became the Christ of God. Well might Peter say 
at the Council at Jerusalem, " We believe that through 
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved 
even as they." " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" 
is a phrase that occurs in the New Testament more 
than a dozen times, and always in a manner well suited 
to affect our hearts. Ten times it occurs in the form 
of a benediction : " The grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ be with you," or "with your spirit," or "with 
you all." The text where it is mentioned most at 
length is found in 2 Cor. viii. 9 : " Ye know the grace 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet 
for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his 
poverty might be rich." There is the whole Gospel in 
epitome. The rich became poor, that the poor might 
become rich. Who would not wish to see this blessed 
Lord Jesus Christ? 

When the celebrated Lord Duplessis of France was 
dying, he said: "Away, away with all merit; I call 
for nothing but mercy, free mercy." When secretly 
praying, he was heard to say, " I fly, I fly to heaven. 
Let the angels carry me to the bosom of my Saviour." 
Again he said, " I know that my Redeemer liveth, 
and I shall see him with these eyes," and so he went 
to the Saviour. 



420 CHRISTIANS LONG TO SEE CHRIST. 

When near his end, Payson said: "I have done 
nothing myself. I have not fought, but Christ has 
fought for me ; I have not run, but Christ has carried 
me ; I have not worked, but Christ has wrought in me. 
Christ has done all." Who would not wish to see 
such a friend, such a Saviour ! 



CHAPTER XLIX. 



THE DANGER OF REJECTING SALVATION. 

One of the most solemn appeals ever made is that 
of Paul. " How shall we escape, if we neglect so 
great salvation ?" The peril of despising the grace of 
our Lord Jesus Christ is extreme and awful. Some 
commit this sin secretly, others openly, some through 
ignorance, others knowingly, some w^ith daring blasphe- 
my, others with trembling ; but all through unbelief. 
A late writer holds this language : " A meaning far 
different from the historical definition of divines is 
currently given to the word salvation ; a word, how- 
ever, which, after every softening, is not sincerely 
congenial with the highest religion of the time. Its 
direct opposition to damnation is very much lost, and 
instead of denoting mere rescue from a penal doom, it 
is accepted as an expression for personal union with 
God^ sphHtual perfectness of character : or without 
reference to any penal alternative, the simple attain- 
ment of a blessed and immortal state,^' More error 
and misrepresentation are seldom found in so short a 
sentence. For what church ever taught that salvation 
is ''mere rescue from a penal doom ?" God's people 
are, indeed, " saved from wrath," and a great deliver- 
ance is thus vouchsafed to them. By the grace of 
Christ they do " escape the damnation of hell.'* But 
he, who rescues them from a just and fiery indignation, 
36 (421J 



422 THE DANGER OF REJECTING SALVATION. 

also clothes them with righteousness, makes them par- 
takers of the divine nature, restores to them the lost 
image of God, fits them for the companionship of 
angels, and receives them to glory. '' The attainment 
of a blessed and immortal state" is no less a part of 
the salvation secured by Jesus Christ, than is " rescue 
from a penal doom.'^ 

But still it seems " the word salvation, after every 
softening, is not sincerely congenial" with what this 
writer is pleased to call " the highest religion of the 
time." The highest religion ! Is there any religion 
higher than that, which had its origin in heaven, 
'^ which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, 
and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him : 
God also bearing them witness, both with signs and 
wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the 
Holy Ghost, according to his own will?" Is there 
any religion above that, at the birth of whose author 
" a multitude of the heavenly host praised God, say- 
ing. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, 
good will toward men ?" What religion excels that, 
which takes poor, vile, ignorant, guilty, helpless sin- 
ners, and raises them to sonship with God, and makes 
them partakers of his holiness ? If this writer means 
to say that there is a system of religion more elevated 
than that revealed in the Bible, then he is an infidel, 
and should be treated as such. That is, he ought to 
be instructed in the evidences of Christianity. In the 
Scriptures there is no '^softening" of the words save, 
saved, and salvation. They occur in some hundreds 
of texts, and although they are not always, yet they 
are often used in the highest religious sense, both in 
the Old and New Testaments. Here are a few cases. 



THE DANGER OF REJECTING SALVATION. 423 

'' Save thy people, and bless tliine inheritance ; feed 
them also, and lift them up for ever." Psa. xxviii. 9. 
*' Thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save 
his people from their sins/' Matt. i. 21. " The Son 
of man is come to seek and to save that which was 
lost." Luke xix. 10. "It is a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into 
the world to save sinners, of w^hom I am chief." 
1 Tim. i. 15. " He is able also to save them to the 
uttermost, that come unto God by him." Heb. vii. 25. 
" Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting 
SALVATION." Isa. xlv. 17. '' Belicve in the Lord Jesus 
Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts xiv. 31. 
" Thou art the God of my salvation." Psa. xxv. 5. 
" God hath chosen you to salvation." 2 Thess. ii. 13. 
Many other texts might be added, but these are suffi- 
cient. Inspired writers and converted men are not 
shy of these words. They love them. They glory in 
them. Meantime what a confession does our author 
make for himself and for a class, whom he represents. 
Their religion does not accord with even the terms of 
the Bible. With the Romanist and Romanizer baptism 
is regeneration. With some, sin is a misfortune, not 
a crime ; wrath is a fiction, hell a chimera, damnation 
a fancy, and even salvation a dream. How slow 
are men in learning that spiritual things are spiritually 
discerned, and that the kingdom of heaven can be en- 
tered by none but little children ! " The state of the 
heart has the chief influence, in the search after truth. 
Humility, contrition, simplicity, sanctity — these are 
the handmaids of the understanding in the investigation 
of religion." The pride of science, the flippancy of self- 
conceit, the arrogance of spiritual ignorance are great 



424 THE DANGER OF REJECTING SALVATION. 

foes to learning the simple truth. To all who are wise 
in their own eyes, even " the word salvation is not 
sincerely congenial." 

Its ^'direct opposition to damnation'' is clearly 
taught in Scripture, as in Mark xvi. 16. " He that 
believeth and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that 
believeth not shall be damned.'' To the humble such 
words are not offensive. They love the truth. But 
that such sounds are exceedingly unwelcome to the 
ears of the unregenerate, every preacher of right- 
eousness painfully knows. It seems to be impossible 
for some men to endure sound doctrine. They have 
no congeniality with it, no taste for it, yet they do not 
all, like this writer, attack both the doctrines and the 
very words of the Holy Ghost. Let such remember 
who it is that has said, " He that believeth on him, is 
not condemned ; but he that believeth not, is con- 
demned already, because he hath not believed in the 
name of the only begotten Son of God." " He that 
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he 
that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the 
wrath of God abideth on him." John iii. 18, 36. 
Nay, so clear is the evidence of the truth of God's 
word, that men who refuse to receive it shall still be 
judged by it. Christ says expressly, "He that re- 
jecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that 
judgeth him : the words that I have spoken, the same 
shall judge him in the last day." John xii. 48. 

If the word salvation is distasteful, how is the thing 
itself? Do men of this school have any sense of their 
lost condition ? Admitting human innocence, the offer 
of salvation is worse than idle ; but before a man can 
rest in the persuasion that he is without sin, and not 



THE DANGER OF REJECTING SALVATION. 425 

under wrath, he must renounce God's word, sear his 
own conscience, and be fearfully left to himself. No 
man more needs the pity and prayers of his neigh- 
bours, or the compassion of his Maker, than he who 
thinks he is without sin, and has no need of a Saviour. 
Yet there certainly is a class of men, who dislike not 
only damnation, but salvation, not only wrath, but 
grace, not only the divine severity, but also the good- 
ness of God. A conversion, more than the death of 
a sinner, a revival of religion more than a pestilence, 
seem to arouse the enmity of the carnal mind. The 
practical view of fallen human nature presented by 
such persons as this writer is appalling proof of the 
blindness and wickedness of men. When a starving 
man is too proud to receive bread, when a man bleed- 
ing to death rejects the aid of a surgeon, when a 
drowning man refuses the rope, that is thrown him, 
there is in each case folly and wilfulness ; but there 
is no such madness, no such perverseness, as when a 
sinner rejects mercy, grace, salvation. ''Ye will not 
come to me, that ye might have life;" "how can ye 
believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek 
not the honour that cometh from God only?" are 
among the kind and solemn teachings of Christ to 
those who refuse his grace. 

Converted men feel very differently about salvation. 
To them there is no sweeter word, unless it is the 
name of Jesus, which means Saviour. A young Hin- 
doo convert when dying, said to his attendant : 
"Sing, brother, sing." His friend said: "Of what 
shall I sing?" He replied; "0 sing of salvation, 
sing of salvation." Thousands have substantially said 
the same thing. They were not ashamed of the testi- 
36-^ 



426 THE DANGER OF REJECTING SALVATION. 

mony of our Lord, who saved them and called them 
with a holy calling, not according to their works, but 
according to his own purpose and grace, which was 
given them in Christ Jesus before the world began. 
Every redeemed sinner loves salvation, loves to sing 
of it and to publish it abroad. Where is the Christian 
that does not unite in this song ? 

Salvation, salvation ! 
The joyful sound proclaim, 
Till earth^s remotest nation 
Has learned Messiah's name. 

If you love not salvation, you love not our Lord 
Jesus Christ and will be accursed when he cometh. 
He, that hates salvation, loves death. If you despise 
grace, you despise your own mercies. Prophets, apos- 
tles, martyrs, and people of God of every age have 
not ceased to proclaim, and upon divine authority too, 
that Christ is our Life. '^ Neither is there salvation in 
any other : for there is none other name under heaven, 
given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 
iv. 12. And how dreadful it will be to perish with 
the offer of mercy pressed upon us by the Lord ! 
We shall die without remedy because we shall then 
have sinned against the only remedy. Inspired writers 
seem to be filled with horror, whenever they contem- 
plate sinners rejecting salvation. Hear Paul : " He 
that despised Moses' law, died without mercy under 
two or three witnesses : of how much sorer punish- 
ment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who 
hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath 
counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was 
sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to 



THE DANGER OF REJECTING SALVATION. 427 

the Spirit of grace ? For we know him that hath 
said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, 
saith the Lord. And again. The Lord shall judge 
his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the 
hands of the living God." Ileb. x. 28—81. 



CHAPTER L. 



THE WONDERS OF GRACE WILL NEVER CEASE. 

The elder President Edwards has written an admi- 
rable work, called "The History of Redemption." 
He, who shall read it, will be well rewarded. But in 
no sense will the history of redemption be complete 
till the last of the elect shall be called, justified, sancti- 
fied and glorified. And in the highest sense that his- 
tory will never be finished, for redemption will for ever 
be evolving new objects of admiration and thanksgiv- 
ing. It may well be doubted whether all the books 
extant, which record the wonders of God's love in the 
application of redemption to the souls of men, possess 
interest and variety equal to the rich storehouse of 
spiritual knowledge, which would be opened to us, if 
the religious experience of all living Christians were 
perfectly delineated. Indeed the inward life of every 
child of God is the history of the application of re- 
demption in epitome. What heights and depths of 
religious experience belong to every generation of the 
people of God ! The thief on the cross was, doubtless, 
not the last dying culprit, who sought and found 
mercy. Saul of Tarsus was not the last blasphemer 
and persecutor, to whom the Lord sent salvation. 
Manasseh was not the last gray-headed sinner that re- 
pented and turned to the Lord, who '^ was entreated 
(428) 



THE WONDERS OF GRACE WILL NEVER CEASE. 429 

of him, and heard his supplication/' Scores of such 
are living in every Christian nation, proving that a 
man can be born again when he is old. There are 
now living and may be seen thousands of people, who 
well illustrate the patience of the saints, who are pat- 
terns of meekness, who love tenderly and strongly, 
who constantly lament the sins of their times, who have 
learned in whatsoever state they are therewith to be 
content, who rejoice in tribulation, who bear all things, 
believe all things, hope all things, endure all things, 
and yet count not themselves to have attained, neither 
are they already perfect, but they are striving after 
higher attainments, and pressing forward towards the 
mark for the prize of their high calling in Christ Je- 
sus. It is great kindness in God to give to the world, 
in the persons of his people of every generation, bright 
examples of virtuous, happy poverty, of cheerful sub- 
mission in aflSiction, of a noble spirit of self-sacrifice, 
of great gentleness of heart, of tenderness of con- 
science, and of the true fear of God, so undeniable 
that even men. of the w^orld see and reverence the 
power of divine grace. God also from age to age 
deals with much patience and gentleness towards timid, 
feeble-minded, humble souls. Out of the mouths of 
babes and sucklings he ordains strength. In times of 
vengeance he spares his people " as a man spareth his 
own son that serve th him ;'^ he comforts them as a 
mother comforteth her own child ; he is to them a sun 
and a shield, a rock of defence and a high tower, a 
refuge and a present help in time of trouble ; from 
them he withholds no good thing ; he gives them peace 
in believing ; he is merciful to their unrighteousness ; 
he blots out their sins ; he loves them freely ; he ac- 



430 THE WONDERS OF GRACE WILL NEVER CEASE. 

cepts them graciously ; in them he shows what his 
grace can still do ; to them he fulfils all the exceeding 
great and precious promises of the covenant. The 
worm Jacob threshes the mountains. God evinces 
every day that the race is not to the swift, nor the 
battle to the strong. By his grace the feeble among 
the saints are yet as David, and the house of David as 
the angel of God. All these things occur from age 
to age in a manner so striking as to arrest the atten- 
tion of all, who have spiritual discernment. In every 
generation the God of patience grants to his servants 
with one mind, and one mouth to glorify God, even 
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The oath of the 
covenant, the blood of Jesus, his intercession in hea- 
ven, and the power of his Spirit achieve these wonders. 
God is unchangeable. Jesus Christ is the same yes- 
terday, to-day, and for ever. The covenant is perpet- 
ual. A promise made to a believer three thousand 
years ago is good and true in the case of all believers. 
'' Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were 
written for our learning, that we through patience and 
comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." 

One of the most remarkable chapters in the history 
of God's church has been furnished by modern mis- 
sions to the heathen. Wherever the gospel is preached 
and takes effect, it produces marvellous results. A 
Hindoo woman applied for baptism. The servant of 
Christ told her, as in candor he was bound to do, what 
she must suffer, the loss of caste, the displeasure of her 
husband, and many persecutions. She replied : " I 
know all this ; I considered about that before I came to 
you. I am ready and willing to bear it all. I am 
ready to sacrifice all to my Lord. Surely, sir, I can- 



THE WONDERS OF GRACE WILL NEVER CEASE. 431 

not endure anything in comparison to what he suf- 
fered for me." 

On his death-bed John Brown of Haddington said : 
" Here is a wonder — a sinner saved by the blood of 
God's Son ! There are wonders in heaven, and won- 
ders in the earth ; but the least part of redemption's 
work is more wonderful than they all." 



CHAPTER LI. 

THE OFFERS OF FREE GRACE ARE TO ALL INDISCRIMI- 
NATELY. 

It is always right and obligatory to point men to 
Christ. Eternal life by the Son of God is to be pressed 
upon their acceptance. No man has any commission 
to preach the gospel except one that bids him offer 
mercy '^ to every creature." " Whosoever will" is scrip- 
tural language. This method of proclaiming salvation 
suits all classes of men. The strong believer and the 
timid penitent alike draw life and hope from Christ 
freely offered. " Weak souls are to be comforted with 
Christ, not with their own faith." Even a young be- 
liever may look to Christ until his heart burns within 
him, and he shouts for joy; but let any man look stead- 
fastly at his own weakness, vileness, guilt, and misery, 
and not get a glimpse of Christ crucified, and hope will 
die within him. God never mocks any of his creatures. 
And while it is true that Jesus Christ died with the 
intention of saving his people, and none others, as he 
himself says, '' I lay down my life for the sheep ;" yet 
it is no less true that there is an infinite storehouse of 
merit in Jesus Christ. It is also certain that by God's 
authority, a full and free salvation is indiscriminately 
offered to sinners. The final ruin of incorrigible trans- 
gressors will be brought about by their unbelief, not by 
the scantiness of the provisions of the gospel ; by their 
(432) 



THE OFFERS OF FREE GRACE ARE TO ALL. 433 

enmity, not by any want of merit in Christ ; by their 
hardness of heart, not by any hick of sincerity in the 
offers of salvation ; by their wilful rejection of blood- 
bought mercy, not by the insufficiency of the work and 
sufferings of Jesus Christ. It is no part of sound doc- 
trine that the merit of our Saviour will be exhausted 
in the salvation of those whom the Father gave to the 
Son, in the covenant of redemption. No branch of the 
church of Christ holds that Christ's humiliation and 
sufferings would have been less if the number of his 
elect had been less ; nor that his humiliation and suf- 
ferings would have been greater if his chosen had been 
more numerous. The merit of Christ is in its very 
nature boundless. It possesses infinite, inexhaustible 
worth. The offer of life is to be made indiscriminately 
because God so commands, because finite men can make 
it in no other way, and because the provisions of the 
gospel are as well suited to the wants of one man as to 
those of another. The call to men to believe the gospel 
should be earnest and urgent, because God so makes it, 
because the matter is of infinite moment, because men 
are very sottish in their sins, and so greatly need to be 
aroused from their guilty slumbers, and because their 
damnation slumbereth not. The offer of salvation is 
sincere, for God says so. It is consistent, because God 
never denies himself. It is kind, because it is sent 
in love, and cost more than we shall ever be able to 
repay. This has been and is the doctrine of all pure 
churches. 

The words of the Synod of Dort are express : " The 

death of the Son of God is the only and most perfect 

sacrifice and satisfaction for sins, of infinite price and 

value, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the 

37 



434 THE OFFERS OF FREE GRACE 

whole world/' Again : " The promise of the gospel is, 
that whosoever believeth in Christ crucified, shall not 
perish, but have everlasting life. Which promise ought 
to be announced and proposed, promiscuously and in- 
discriminately, to all nations and men, to whom God 
in his good pleasure hath sent the gospel, with the 
command to repent and believe.'' 

The London Baptists' Confession says: '^The preach- 
ing of the gospel to the conversion of sinners, is abso- 
lutely free ; no way requiring, as absolutely necessary, 
any qualifications, preparations, or terrors of the law, 
or preceding ministry of the law, but only and alone 
the naked soul, a sinner and ungodly, to receive Christ 
crucified, dead and buried, and risen again; who is 
made a Prince and a Saviour for such sinners as 
through the gospel shall be brought to believe on 
him." 

Calvin says : " We know the promises to be effectual 
to us only when we receive them by faith : on the con- 
trary, the annihilation of faith is the abolition of the 
promises. If this is their nature, we may perceive that 
there is no discordance between these two things : 
God's having appointed from eternity on whom he will 
bestow his favour and exercise his wrath, and his pro- 
claiming salvation to all. Indeed, I maintain that 
there is the most perfect harmony between them." In 
the Synod of Dort we have an example of the very 
staunchest Calvinists who have met in modern times ; 
in Calvin we have the very ablest expounder of the doc- 
trines of grace since the days of Augustine, if not since 
the days of Paul, yet they would have salvation ofiered 
to all. 

Few men have written on the death of Christ with 



ARE TO ALL INDISCRIMINATELY. 435 

more force than John Owen. His matured sentiments 
on this subject have been precious to the people of God 
for two full centuries. He says that ''it was the in- 
tention and purpose of God that his Son should offer a 
sacrifice of infinite worth, value, and dignity, sufficient 
in itself for the redeeming of all and every man, if it 
had pleased the Lord to employ it to that purpose ; 
yea, and of other worlds also, if the Lord should freely 
make them, and w^ould redeem them. Sufficient, we 
say then, was the sacrifice of Christ for the redemption 
of the whole world, and for the expiation of all the 
sins of all and every man in the world. This sufficiency 
of his sacrifice hath a two-fold rise. First, the dignity 
of the person that did offer and was oS'ered. Secondly, 
the greatness of the pain he endured, by which he was 
able to bear, and did undergo the whole curse of the 
law of God due to sin ; and this sets out the innate^ 
real J true worth of the blood-shedding of Jesus Christ.'' 
If any man has a more blessed gospel than this to 
preach, he has not yet told- the world what it is. 

Flavel says : " It is confessed, there is sufficiency 
of virtue in the sacrifice of Christ to redeem the whole 
world." 

Manton says : '' For these six thousand years, God 
has been multiplying pardons, and yet free grace is not 
tired. Christ undertook to satisfy, and he hath money 
enough to pay. It were folly to think that an empe- 
ror's revenue will not pay a beggar's debt. Mercy is 
an ocean, ever flowing, yet ever full." 

The Rev. Thomas Boston says, that ^' there was 
virtue and efficacy enough in Christ's oblation to 
satisfy offended justice for the sins of the whole world, 
yea, and of millions of worlds more ; for his blood hath 



436 THE OFFERS OF FREE GRACE 

infinite value, because of the excellency and dignity 
of his person.'' 

John Brown of Haddington : '' Such is the infinite 
dignity of Christ's person, that his fulfilment of the 
broken law is sufiicient to balance all the debt of all 
the elect, nay, of millions of guilty worlds." In proof, 
he refers to Col. ii. 9 ; Isa. vii. 14, and ix. 6 ; Jer. 
xxiii. 6 ; Zech. xiii. 7 ; Titus ii. 13, 14, and Acts xx. 28. 
Again he says, that " In respect of its intrinsic worth 
as the obedience and sufi*erings of a divine person, 
Christ's satisfaction is sufficient for the ransom of all 
mankind, and being fulfilled in human nature, is equally 
suited to all their necessities." No surer, broader 
foundation for a sincere, consistent, general offer of 
mercy and grace could be desired, than is here admitted 
to exist in the finished work of the Mediator. 

Dr. Witherspoon lays down three propositions on 
this subject, which can hardly be questioned. 1. "The 
obedience and death of Christ are of value sufficient to 
expiate the guilt of all the sins of every individual 
that ever lived, or ever shall live on earth. This 
cannot be denied, since the subjects to be redeemed 
are finite, the price paid for their redemption infinite." 
2. "Notwithstanding this, every individual of the hu- 
man race is not in fact partaker of this purchase, but 
many die in their sins, and perish for ever." 3. "There 
is in the death of Christ a sufficient foundation laid for 
the preaching of the gospel indefinitely to all without 
exception. It is the command of God that this should 
be done. Mark xvi. 15 : ^And he said unto them, Go 
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every 
creature.' The effect of this is, that the misery of the 
unbelieving and impenitent shall be entirely at their 



ARE TO ALL INDISCRIMINATELY. 437 

own door ; and they shall not only die in their own 
sins, but shall suffer to eternity for the most heinous 
of all sins, despising the remedy and refusing to hear 
the Son of God." 

It may not be generally known how much the urgent 
and indiscriminate offer of salvation by grace has been 
opposed. The great Secession from the Church of 
Scotland, under Erskine and others, was in part because 
of the wrong done to this blessed truth by the loose 
men who were the dominant party of that day. At 
least the Moderates then greatly impugned the doctrine 
of free offers of life to sinners. It may well be doubted 
•whether a scene partaking more of the moral sublime 
has occurred in the last hundred and fifty years, than 
when Ebenezer Erskine arose in the Synod of Fife and 
said : '' Moderator, our Lord Jesus says of himself, 'My 
Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.' This 
he uttered to a promiscuous multitude ; and let me see 
the man who dare say he said wrong.'' The heavenly 
sweetness and solemnity of the speaker for the time 
hushed every controvertist. 

Drc Bellamy says: ''Christ's merits are sufficient 
for all the world, and the door of mercy is opened wide 
enough for all the world ; and God the supreme Go- 
vernor has proclaimed himself reconcilable to all the 
world, if they will believe and repent." Let all sinners 
know that if they perish, it will not be because Christ 
has not died, nor because his merits are not sufficient 
to meet all the demands of law and justice against 
them, if they will but obey the gospel call. 

Matthew Henry says: "The eleven apostles must 
send others to those places, where they could not go 
themselves^ and, in short, make it the business of their 
37* 



438 THE OFFERS OF FREE GRACE 

lives to send the glad tidings of the gospel up and 
doivn the worlds with all possible fidelity and care, not 
as an amusement or entertainment, but as a solemn 
message from God to men, and an appointed means of 
making men happy. ' Tell as many as you can, and 
bid them tell others, it is a message of universal con- 
cern, and therefore ought to have a universal welcome, 
because it give^ a universal welcome/ " 

Dr. Doddridge : " The commission Christ gave his 
apostles, though it began at Jerusalem^ did not end 
there ; nor was it confined within the narrow limits of 
Judea ; but they were appointed to go into all the worlds 
and preach the gospel to every creature.'' 

Dr. Scott says that the apostles and their co-labourers 
''did testify to their fellow sinners everywhere, that 
' the Father had sent the Son to be the Saviour of the 
world,' and to confer pardon, grace, and eternal life, 
on all men, in every place, who sought them from the 
Father, through the propitiation of the Son, by living 
faith in his name." 

Dr. Hodge says : " The doctrine of the atonement 
produces in us its proper effects, when it leads us to see 
that God is just ; that he is infinitely gracious ; that 
we are deprived of all ground of boasting ; that the 
way of salvation, which is open for us, is open for all 
men ; and that the motives to all duty, instead of being 
weakened, are enforced and multiplied.'' 

Haldane says that Christ's " sacrifice could not have 
been sufficient for any, if it had not been sufficient for 
all. An atonement of infinite value was necessary for 
every individual that shall be saved, and more could 
not be necessary for all the world. The intrinsic suffi- 
ciency of Christ's sacrifice was doubtless in view in the 



ARE TO ALL INDISCRIMINATELY. 439 

divine appointment concerning it. God made provisiou 
of such a sacrifice as was not only sufficient effectually 
to take away the sins of all the elect ; but also sufficient 
to be laid before all mankind, in the dispensation of the 
gospel. In the gospel it was to be declared to all man- 
kind that, in their nature, the Son of God had made 
an atonement of infinite value, and brought in ever- 
lasting righteousness, which shall be upon all that 
believe. This atonement, then, being all-sufficient in 
itself, is proclaimed to all who hear the gospel. All 
are invited to rely upon it for pardon and acceptance, 
as freely and fully as if they knew that God designed 
it for them from all eternity, and all who thus rely 
upon it shall experience the blessing of its efficacy and 
infinite value.'' 

Let not perishing men, therefore, stand at a distance 
and say, There is no way of escape, no door of mercy 
open, no salvation offered to us, and we must die in our 
sins. The calls of the gospel are as sincere on the part 
of God to men, who refuse salvation, as to those who 
accept it. That is, God is infinitely sincere in all he 
says and does. 



CHAPTER LIL 



THE DOCTRINE OF FKEE GRACE IS SAFE AND REFORMS 
SINNERS 

If any doctrine can turn a serpent into a dove, or a 
lion into a lamb, it is the glorious doctrine of salvation 
by the grace of Christ. The reason why Paul was 
not ashamed of the Gospel was not because it was 
full of eloquence, or tragical scenes, or a pleasing 
philosophy, but because it was " the power of God 
unto salvation to every one that believeth.'' That 
system of truth, which reforms the vicious, puts the 
profane to praying, makes God-fearing men of drunk- 
ards, subdues the passionate, establishes every where 
the law of kindness, binds together the discordant 
elements of society by the golden chain of charity, and 
brings to those, who receive it, all the blessings of sal- 
vation, cannot have had its original from earth or hell. 
So Paul thought. Hence his zeal for the precious 
truth. " God forbid that I should glory save in the 
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world 
is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." " What 
things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ. 
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the 
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." 
^' We preach Christ crucified." " Other foundation can 
no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 
" We are fools for Christ, we are weak, we are des- 
(440) 



THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOSPEL GRACE. 441 

pised. Even to this hour wc both suffer hunger, and 
thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no 
certain dwelling-place, and labour, working with our 
own hands, being reviled, persecuted, defamed, we are 
made the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of 
all things unto this day.'' Men, who would joyfully 
bear such things, prove the power of the truth in their 
daily triumphs. Long before PauFs day, David cele- 
brated the power of the truth : " The law of the 
Lord is perfect, converting the soul : the testimony of 
the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." One 
entire New Testament church consisted of those, w^ho 
had been "darkness.'' Eph. v. 8. Another consisted 
in part of those, who had been fornicators, idolaters, 
adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with man- 
kind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and extor- 
tioners. But when the Gospel reached them in power, 
soon they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 
1 Cor. vi. 9—11. 

The transforming power of the Gospel has always 
been celebrated by its friends. Lactantius says : " Give 
me a man of a passionate, abusive, headstrong dispo- 
sition : with a few only of the words of God, I will 
make him gentle as a lamb. Give me a greedy, ava- 
ricious, tenacious wretch, and I will teach him to dis- 
tribute his riches with a liberal and unsparing hand. 
Give me a cruel and blood-thirsty monster ; and all 
his rage shall be changed into true benignity. Give me 
a man addicted to injustice, full of ignorance, and im- 
mersed in wickedness ; he shall soon become just, 
prudent and innocent." Many writers, both ancient 
and modern, bear a similar testimony. When the 



442 THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOSPEL GRACE, 

missionaries first went to Greenland, for a long 
time, the savages mocked them, mimicked their read- 
ing, singing and praying, attempted to drown all 
devotion by hideous howlings, and the beating of 
drums, ridiculed them with the keenest sarcasms, up- 
braided them with their ignorance because they had to 
learn the language of their country, pelted them with 
stones, climbed on their shoulders, seized many of 
their goods and shattered them to pieces, and even 
attempted to destroy the little boat, which was 
essential to the procuring of their subsistence. In 
short they even meditated and attempted to murder 
them. They said: '' Show us the God you describe, 
then will we believe in him and serve him." "We 
have prayed to him when we were sick, or had nothing 
to eat, but he heard us not." " We need nothing but 
a sound body and enough to eat." " Your heaven 
and'your spiritual pleasures may be good enough for 
you, but they would be tiresome to us." Having for 
five years endured all obloquy, peril, suffering and 
derision, these humble missionaries were at length able 
to preach to the people and translate portions of Scrip- 
ture for their use. At length one of them spoke of 
the redemption of sinners by Jesus Christ. '' He was 
enabled to describe the sufferings and death of the 
Redeemer with more than ordinary force and energy ; 
and he, at the same time, read to them from the New 
Testament the history of his agony and of his bloody 
sweat in the garden. Upon this one of their number, 
named Kajarnak, stepped up to the table, and in an 
earnest affecting manner exclaimed. ' How was that ? 
Tell me it once more ; for I also would fain be saved.' " 
These words aroused the missionary to new life and 



THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOSPEL GRACE. 443 

energy and thus began that wonderful change, which 
has made Greenland so famous in the annals of Christi- 
anity. The history of Kajarnak in subsequent life 
was not unlike that of the fierce, bloody Africaner after 
his conversion. 

David Brainerd also tells us that the doctrines of 
grace were above all others blessed to the reformation 
of his poor Indians. " It is worthy of remark that 
numbers of these people are brought to a strict com- 
pliance with the rules of morality and sobriety^ and to 
a conscientious performance of the external duties of 
Christianity by the internal power and influence of 
divine truths — the peculiar doctrines of grace — upon 
their minds ; without their having these moral duties 
frequently repeated and inculcated upon them, and 
the contrary vices particularly exposed and spoken 
against." And he states quite at length how the 
truth operated upon them, curing their strongest evil 
propensities, and completely reforming their lives. 
The strong man armed may long keep his goods in 
peace, but when a stronger than he cometh, he taketh 
away his goods. It must be so. It is God's eternal 
plan and unchangeable purpose that Christ should 
destroy the works of the devil. How could it be 
otherwise? For Davenant well says that "by the 
death of Christ we are greatly stirred up, both to a 
caution against, and a detestation of sin : for that 
must needs be deadly, which could be healed in no 
other way than by the death of Christ.'' And Glas- 
cock says that " the sufferings and obedience of Christ 
afford the highest motives to dissuade from sin and 
press to holiness, and lay a man under an infinite ob- 
ligation in point of gratitude to live unto God. That 



444 THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOSPEL GRACE. 

very grace, which enables him to believe in Christ, 
equally inclines him to love God/' It always must be 
SO. ''If God's people at any time fall into sin," says 
Miller, '' it is not while they are eyeing the perfection 
of Christ's righteousness, but when they lose sight of 
it." A heart moved by the love of Christ will love to 
make sacrifices of all it has for his glory. Augustine 
beautifully says : '' How sweet it is to deny all sinful 
sweets ! how pleasant it is to forego these sinful plea- 
sures for the sake of Christ !" 

Berridge says : " Morality can never thrive unless 
grounded wholly upon grace. The heathen, for want 
of this foundation could do nothing ; they spoke some 
noble truths, but spoke to men with withered limbs 
and loathing appetites ; they were like way-posts, 
which show a road, but cannot help a cripple for- 
wards." "God has shown us in his word how little 
human wit and strength can do to compass reformation. 
Reason has explored the moral path, planted it with 
roses, and fenced it round with motives, but all in vain. 
Nature still recoils ; no motives drawn from Plato's 
works, nor yet from the Gospel of Christ, will of them- 
selves suflSce ; no cords will bind the heart to God and 
duty, but the cords of grace." 

The prophet Zechariah (chapters xii. and xiii.) well 
describes the process of turning to God through Jesus 
Christ: "I will pour upon the house of David, and 
upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace, 
and of supplications : and they shall look upon me 
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, 
as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bit- 
terness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first- 
born. In that day shall there be a great mourning in 



THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOSPEL GRACE. 445 

Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the 
valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every 
family apart ; the family of the house of David apart, 
and their wives apart ; the family of the house of 
Nathan apart, and their wives apart ; the family of 
the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart ; the 
family of the house of Shimei apart, and their wives 
apart ; all the families that remain, every family apart, 
and their wives apart. In that day there shall be a 
fountain opened to the house of David and to the in- 
habitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. 
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord 
of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out 
of the land, and they shall no more be remembered ; 
and also I -vnll cause the [false] prophets and the un- 
clean spirit to pass out of the land.'' Here we are 
informed 1. that God's Spirit is necessary to bring 
men to true repentance ; 2. that the Holy Spirit takes 
of the things of Christ and shows them to men for 
their salvation ; 3. that Gospel truth when rightly 
understood affects all classes alike, even David, 
the king, Nathan, the prophet, Levi, the priest, 
Shimei, one of the lowest of the people, men and their 
wives ; 4. that true repentance inclines people to go 
alone and weep ; 5. that such weeping will lead the 
soul to the blood of Christ ; 6. and then idolatry and 
error, sin and heresy will be driven from among the 
people. Such weeping for sin will weep away all love 
of iniquity. One believing view of Christ does more 
to mortify sin than all the terrors of the Lord. The 
late Dr. Matthews of New Albany said: "In my 
opinion the sun is not more evidently intended, nor 
better calculated to warm, and enlighten the earth J 
38 



446 THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOSPEL GRACE. 

the eye is not more evidently fitted for the purposes 
of vision, than are these doctrines to enlighten and 
purify the mind, to make us, and keep us sincere, 
humble, devout, intelligent and useful Christians/* 
Such testimonies ouo;ht to have weicrht. 

The powerlcssness of mere principles of morality, 
and the mighty energy of Gospel truths are strikingly 
illustrated in the ministry of Dr. Chalmers at Kilmany. 
"When about to leave that parish in 1815, he delivered 
an address to the inhabitants, in which he said : " I 
cannot but record the effect of an actual, though unde- 
signed experiment, which I prosecuted for upward of 
twelve years among you. For the greater part of 
that time I could expatiate on the meanness of dis- 
honesty, on the villainy of falsehood, on the despicable 
arts of calumny ; in a word upon all those deformities 
of character, which awaken the natural indignation of 
the human heart against the pests and disturbers of 
human society. Now, could I, upon the strength of 
these warm expostulations, have got the thief to give 
up his stealing, and the evil speaker his censoriousness, 
and the liar his deviations from truth, I should have 
felt all the repose of one who had gotten his ultimate 
object. It never occurred to me that all this might 
have been done, and yet the soul of every hearer have 
remained in full alienation from God : and that even 
could I have established in the bosom of one, who 
stole, such a principle of abhorrence at the meanness 
of dishonesty, that he was prevailed upon to steal no 
more, he might still have retained a heart as complete- 
ly unturned to God, as totally unpossessed of a principle 
of love to him as before. In a word, though I might 
have made him a more upright and honourable man, I 



THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOSPEL GRACE. 447 

miglit have left him as destitute of reli^i^ious principle 
as ever. But the interesting fact is that during the 
whole of that period, in which I made no attempt 
against the natural enmity of the mind to God, 
while I was inattentive to the way, in which this en- 
mity is dissolved, even by the free offer on the one 
hand, and the believing acceptance on the other, of 
the Gospel salvation, while Christ, through whose blood 
the sinner, who by nature stands afar off, is brought near 
to the heavenly Lawgiver whom he has offended, was 
ever scarcely spoken of, or spoken of in such a way as 
stripped Him of all the importance of his character 
and his oflBces, even at this time I certainly did press 
the reformation of honour, and truth, and integrity 
among my people ; but I never once heard of any such 
reformation having been effected among them. I am 
not sensible that all the vehemence with which I urged 
the virtues and the proprieties of social life, had the 
weight of a feather on the moral habits of my parish- 
ioners. And it was not till I got impressed by the 
utter alienation of the heart in all its desires and 
affections from God ; it was not till reconciliation to 
him became the distinct and prominent object of my 
ministerial exertions ; it was not till I took the scrip- 
tural way of laying the method of reconciliation before 
them ; it was not till the free offer of forgiveness 
through the blood of Christ was urged upon their 
acceptance, and the Holy Spirit given through the 
channel of Christ's mediatorship to all who ask him, 
was set before them as the unceasing object of their 
dependence and their prayers ; in one word, it was not 
till the contemplations of my people were turned to 
these great and essential elements in the business of a 



448 THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOSPEL GRACE. 

soul providing for its interests with God and the con- 
cerns of eternity, that I ever heard of any of those 
subordinate reformations, which I aforetime made the 
earnest and the zealous, but I am afraid at the same 
time, the ultimate object of my earlier ministrations. 
Ye servants, whose scrupulous fidelity has now at- 
tracted the notice, and drawn forth in my hearing a 
delightful testimony from your masters, what mischief 
you would have done, had your zeal for doctrines and 
sacraments been accompanied by the sloth and remiss- 
ness, and what, in the prevailing tone of relaxation, is 
accounted the allowable purloining of your earlier 
days ! But a sense of your Heavenly Master's eye 
has brought another influence to bear upon you ; and 
while you are thus striving to adorn the doctrine of 
God your Saviour in all things, you may, poor as you 
are, reclaim the great ones of the land to the acknow- 
ledgment of the faith. You have at least taught me, 
that to preach Christ is the only effective way of 
preaching morality in all its branches." 



CHAPTER LIII. 

THE CONCLUSION. — AN OFFER OF LIFE MADE TO THE 
PERISHING. 

The end of ploughing and sowing is the harvest. 
The end of trial is reward. The end of this discussion 
should be salvation. Respected reader, will you not 
flee from the wrath to come, and lay hold on eternal 
life ? Do you need assurance of a cordial reception 
from Christ ? The Scriptures give it in every variety 
of form. They utter no uncertain sound. Listen to 
their voice. By Moses God says : ^^ Oh that they were 
wise, that they understood this, that they would con- 
sider their latter end." Deut. xxxii. 29. Moses was 
hardly dead when by Joshua God called again : 
" Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in 
truth." Josh. xxiv. 14. By that great prophet Elijah 
he expostulates thus : " How long halt ye between two 
opinions ? If the Lord be God follow him, but if 
Baal, then follow him." 1 Kings xviii. 21. By David 
he calls us saying : " Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, 
and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled 
but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust 
in him." Psa. ii. 12. By David's son, Solomon, God 
again promises his love, saying : " Wisdom crieth with- 
out ; she uttereth her voice in the streets : she crieth 
in the chief-places of concourse, in the openings of the 

gates; in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 
38* (449) 



450 AN OFFER OF LIFE 

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and 
the scorners delight in scorning, and fools hate know- 
ledge ? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour 
out my Spirit unto you, I will made known my words 
unto you." Prov. i. 20 — 23. By Isaiah, animated 
with the brightest hopes and the most cheering truths, 
he says: ^'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to 
the waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye, buy 
and eat ; yea come, buy wine and milk without money 
and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for 
that which is not bread, and your labour for that 
which satisfieth not ? Hearken diligently unto me, 
and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul de- 
light itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come 
unto me : hear and your soul shall live ; and I will 
make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure 
mercies of David." Isa. Iv. 1 — 3. By the tender- 
hearted, weeping Jeremiah God says : " I will yet 
plead with you, and with your children's children will 
I plead." "Wilt thou not from this time cry unto 
me. My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?" 
Jer. ii. 9, and iii. 4. By the majestic and vehement 
Ezekiel, Jehovah swears : '' As I live, saith the Lord 
God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, 
but that the wicked turn from his wicked way and live ; 
turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways ; for why will ye 
die, house of Israel ?" Ezek. xxxiii. 11. By Hosea 
God lovingly says : "I will betroth thee unto me for 
ever ; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, 
and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mer- 
cies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness. 
* "^ * Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me 
is thy help." Hos. ii. 19, 20, and xiii. 9. By Zecha- 



MADE TO THE PERISHING. 451 

riah God proclaims his grace, saying, " Turn you to 
the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope : even to-day do 
I declare that I will render double unto thee/' 
Zech. ix. 12. 

When Jesus Christ came he cried ; " Come unto me, 
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me : 
for I am meek and lowly in heart ; and ye shall find 
rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my 
burden is light.'' " Him that cometh unto me I will 
in no wise cast out." " In the last day, that great 
day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, If any 
man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." Matt, 
xi. 28—30, John vi. 37, and vii. 37. And blessed 
Paul says, that " God was in Christ reconciling the 
w^orld unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto 
them ; and hath committed unto us the word of recon- 
ciliation. Now then w^e are ambassadors for Christ, as 
though God did beseech you by us, we pray you iu 
Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. 
And as if all these forms of speech were not enough, 
our Lord after his ascension to heaven spake words of 
the kindest invitation, which are recorded in the very 
last book of Scripture. Hear them : " Behold, I stand 
at the door and knock : if any man hear my voice and 
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with 
him, and he with me." " I Jesus have sent mine angel 
to testify unto you these things in the churches. The 
Spirit and the bride say. Come. And let him that 
heareth say. Come. And let him that is athirst come. 
And whosoever will, let him take the water of life 
freely." Rev. iii. 20, 22, xvi. 17. Indeed the whole 
tenor of the Saviour's call is, " Repent ye and be- 



452 AN OFFER OF LIFE 

lieve the gospel.'* Mark i. 15. '' This Is his command- 
ment : That we should believe on the name of his Son 
Jesus Christ." 1 John iii. 23. " He that believeth on 
the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth 
not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God 
abideth on him.^' John iii. 36. 

These divine sentences are presented in one un- 
broken connection that you may see how rich is the 
variety of forms, in which perishing sinners are called 
to light and life. They are commanded, invited, be- 
sought, warned, threatened, wooed by promises, allured 
by kindnesses, and pointed to the coming wrath, and 
all for the purpose of bringing them to Christ. 

There has been much said about the warrant for be- 
lieving in Christ. But sinners need no warrant for 
their faith beyond what God's word has given. Traill 
says : " This is the call of the gospel, he that dares 
trust Christ with his soul upon the warrant of the gos- 
pel shall be saved for ever. The Lord tries people 
this way. We have no more to do but to take pen 
in hand, and say, Amen, Lord : it is a good 
bargain and a true word, and I will trust my soul on 
it." No man requires any other authority than that 
of his Maker for doing anything. What was Abra- 
ham's authority for offering up Isaac ? The command 
of God and nothing else. We have the same command 
for believing in the Lord Jesus. What warrant has 
any man for going to an entertainment ? If he has 
the invitation of him, who makes the feast, that is 
enough. It is folly to seek any other. Well, God 
says, " Come, for all things are now ready." When 
a wife beseeches her husband not to herd with the 
worthless and drunken, can he be at any loss to know 



MADE TO THE PERISHING. 453 

what conduct "will please her ? When a government 
connects the heaviest penalties with a course of beha- 
viour, do we need any other helps to know its will ? 
Now God has heaped offer upon offer. He has 
pledged his word before the universe. He has bound 
himself by his oath. He is the God of truth and 
cannot lie. Yea, he spared not his own Son, but 
delivered him up for us all. That Son has suffered all 
and done all, that was necessary for our complete 
restoration ; and the Spirit of Christ has gone forth 
calling men to repentance. Messengers, who them- 
selves were once condemned and afterwards obtained 
mercy without any merit of their own, have been sent 
abroad all over the earth, and commanded to make 
an urgent and indiscriminate offer of grace to all 
the rebellious, who will throw down their arms, 
and receive a pardon bought with blood. Many 
millions of our race have sought and found salva- 
tion. Indeed from the days of our first parents 
to this hour, there has been a long line of sinners 
redeemed and saved by the blood of Jesus and the 
grace of God. Each one of these is a monu- 
ment of the rich, free, saving mercy of Jehovah. 
Each once testifies how freely Jesus will forgive. 
Does any one wish to know how God will treat 
returning, penitent sinners ? Let him behold the 
loving-kindness of the Lord to the thousands and 
ten thousands of his murderers in Jerusalem, who 
soon after his ascension to glory sought and obtained 
full pardon. Not one of all our race has ever 
been recovered from the ruins of the apostacy, 
who does not stand to tell how rich are the drops 
of atoning blood, how ample is the robe of Christ's 



454 AN OFFER OF LIFE MADE TO THE PERISHINa. 

righteousness, how kind is the Father of mercies, 
how loving is the Holy Spirit, how free and abun- 
dant is the grace of God. Authority for laying 
hold of salvation is found in every call, command 
and exhortation to turn and live. Come, come to 
Jesus Christ. Come all. Come now. With John 
Brown of Whitburn we boldly say that ^'the vilest 
of men have just the same right to Christ and 
his merits, as the best of men ; a right founded 
not in their awakened desires, nor on anything 
in themselves, but purely, solely, entirely on the 
free grace of the Saviour. We are all sinners, 
though in a greater or less degree ; and we all flee 
to Christ, not as deserving, but as guilty creatures." 
The Lord justifieth the ungodly ^ who believe in Jesus. 
come to Christ before it is too late, lest like the 
Emperor Adrian when dying you should exclaim : 
" my poor wandering soul ! alas ! whither art 
thou going ? where must thou lodge this night ? 
Thou shalt never jest any more, never be merry 
any more.'' Will you believe ? Will you be saved 
by Jesus Christ ? Will you ? 

Now the God of peace that brought again from the 
dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of 
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting cove- 
nant, make you perfect in every good work to do 
his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing 
in his sight, through Jesus Christ ; to whom be glory 
for ever and ever. Amen. 

THE END. 



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